GRAND RAPIDS, MIch. – The Trine University women's basketball team took on a fellow ranked opponent in Calvin University on Saturday afternoon, with the #18 Thunder coming away with a 59-54 victory. Trine defeated #17 Calvin behind an eight-point difference in favor of the visitors in the fourth quarter as well as 24 points from sophomore guard Sidney Wagner, 12 of which coming in the final 10 minutes.
The win keeps the Thunder tied for the league lead in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) at 18-5 overall and 12-2 in league play. The Knights are 18-5 as well, but 10-4 inside the MIAA following the loss.
It took nearly two minutes before either team scored as Wagner got the lid off the basket for Trine with a pair of baskets. Katie Tate buried a jump shot as well and Sierra Hinds was true from deep to give the Thunder a 9-2 lead through the first six minutes. A Katie Sloneker layup just before the end of the period put Trine up 13-6 after one. Calvin was held to just two made field goals in the opening period.
The Knights put something together offensively to start the second to work their way back into the game and a scoring drought of nearly five minutes allowed Calvin to take the lead at 22-17. Katie Sloneker and Makayla Ardis put an end to the shooting woes in the final two minutes of the quarter, but the home team had a one-point lead going into halftime, 24-23.
After a Wagner free throw tied the game, the Knights ticked off five in a row to gain an advantage for a majority of the third quarter. Trailing by as many as six, the Thunder were able to tie the game back up thanks to attempts from the free throw line. A few makes by Sophie Sloneker from the charity stripe knotted the game up at 37 with just over two minutes remaining in the period. Through 30 minutes, Calvin held a 41-38 edge.
Wagner traded baskets with the Knights at the start of the fourth quarter to keep Trine within four at 47-43. Abby Sanner crashed the offensive glass for two and a free throw from Ardis got the Thunder to within one, but it was a steal and score by Wagner that gave the team the lead back at 48-47 at the 5:52 mark.
Coming out of a timeout, the Knights retook the lead, but Alyssa Argyle stepped into a three-point field goal on the next possession to go up 51-49. Makes by Ardis and Wagner extended the lead to 58-53 with just over two minutes to play. From there, the defense set in. Calvin was held to one point over the final 2:34 in the game and were 0-for-4 with one turnover down the stretch.
The teams were fairly even in all statistical categories. Trine shot 35.1% (20-for-57) from the field while the Knights found success on 35.6% (21-for-59) of their shot attempts. Calvin held a slight advantage on the boards (45-40) but turned the ball over 11 times compared to seven miscues by the Thunder. Wagner was the only student-athlete in double figures for Trine with 24 points on 9-of-16 from the field. Ardis had eight points and a team-high six rebounds.
The final week of the regular season begins with a road trip to Saint Mary's College on Wednesday, February 15. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.