ANGOLA, Ind. – In the home and season opener for the Trine University women's basketball team, the Thunder (1-0) were able to secure a 62-60 win at home in a very competitive contest with Baldwin Wallace University (2-1). The teams showcased why they are two of the top teams in the region and the country on Wednesday, as each of them were vote-getters in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 (Trine at 17th and Baldwin Wallace receiving votes).
Junior Sidney Wagner and sophomore Erin Sherwood paced the squad with 16 points and six rebounds each. For Sherwood, it is a career-high after appearing in 11 games one season ago. The Thunder won the turnover battle 21-10 and were 20-of-31 from the free throw line while the Yellow Jackets finished at 11-of-21.
Both sides struggled to score the ball early in the game and at the halfway point in the first quarter, Trine led 5-3. The unit off the bench was a little more successful scoring the basketball as senior Chelsi Giesige, freshman Sydney Horton, freshman Allie Walther and Sherwood all had baskets to get to 16-12 through 10 minutes.
Wagner extended the lead with a pair of makes to begin the second period, but a 12-4 run in favor of Baldwin Wallace tied the score at 24. Sherwood countered the run by the opponents with a make from distance as the shot clock expired to help keep the home team in front at halftime, 29-26. The defense kept the Yellow Jackets without a score over the final two minutes of the first half.
Baldwin Wallace would not go away easily as another scoring run for the Yellow Jackets gave them the lead, 34-31. The visitors were able to score eight of the first ten points coming out of halftime, but a three-point play by junior Katie Tate knotted the game back up at the halfway point in the third. The teams went back-and-forth throughout the final portion of the third, but Baldwin Wallace claimed a 43-41 edge with 10 minutes left to play.
Frequent fouls to start the fourth quarter put both teams at the free throw line, but majority Thunder as they battled back to retake the lead. A made layup by sophomore Sierra Hinds sparked a 5-0 run to give Trine some breathing room at 52-47. Sophomore Jada Rhonehouse scored as well on an offensive rebound to highlight her night.
As the minutes came off the clock, the Thunder kept the opposition at bey. A layup by Sherwood made the score 61-55 with under two minutes to go, but the Yellow Jackets had an opportunity to tie the game before the final buzzer sounded. A three-point make with 50 seconds left put Baldwin Wallace within two at 62-60, and a stop defensively gave the Yellow Jackets a chance to tie or take the lead.
Trine was able to get the stop in the final seconds and secure the defensive rebound, but two misses on the penalty free throws gave Baldwin Wallace the ball with 0.3 on the clock and a chance to tie on a tip-in. The play to the backside of the rim was unsuccessful and the 17th-ranked Thunder held on at home, 62-60.
Up next, Trine will host Muskingum University in the Cameron Hospital Classic beginning on Saturday, November 18. Albion College and Wittenberg University kicks off the event at 5:30 p.m. with the Thunder and Muskies doing battle immediately following at 7:30 p.m.