ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University women's basketball team remained unbeaten in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play with an 88-54 victory over Saint Mary's College on Saturday afternoon. The 17th-ranked Thunder are now 6-1 overall and 3-0 in league play while the Belles fall to 1-7 and 0-3.
Trine began the game with a strong first quarter. Abby Sanner recorded a pair of field goals to begin the game and Sidney Wagner and Sierra Hinds extended the lead to 8-2 to start the contest. Jada Rhonehouse and Allison Capouch buried three-point field goals to get to an 18-9 end of the first quarter score.
The lead was elevated to as many as 11 on another Capouch make from deep and 12 with a make by Wagner at the halfway point in the second quarter at 31-19, but the final five minutes were dominated by Saint Mary's to make it 37-29 at the break. The Belles were able to win the quarter 20-19 after making 8-of-15 shots.
The offense for the Thunder began to click in the second half with 51 points in the final 20 minutes of action. Trine was 9-of-16 from the field including four made shots from distance. An 11-3 run midway in the first four minutes and change helped build the lead to 48-34 and a pair of three-point makes by Capouch and Addison Hutson put the score at 62-46 through three quarters.
Trine did not relent in the fourth quarter and won the period 26-8 to leave little doubt to who the better team was inside the MTI Center. Wagner displayed that she was the best individual player on the floor with the first 11 points for the Thunder in the fourth to balloon the lead to 73-48. She buried a pair of shots from behind the arc, including an and-one. Allie Walther, Alexis Snodgrass, Olivia Marks, Anna Grim and Kearston Stout all found the scoring column in the 88-54 win.
Wagner led the team in most every category after scoring a season-high 23 points, pulling down eight rebounds, dishing out nine assists and recording four steals. She was also 9-of-13 from the field. Capouch and Hinds had 13 points each to finish in double figures. The team held a 15-6 difference in turnovers and outscored their opponents 25-4 on miscues. Trine won the paint battle 40-16 and outrebounded Saint Mary's 48-31.
Next week, the Thunder will host the University of Wisconsin-Stout for the third of five consecutive home games inside the MTI Center. Tip-off on Saturday, December 16 with be at 1 p.m.