LAS VEGAS, NEV. -- Senior forward Hayley Martin (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) recorded her first double-double of the season to lead the Trine University women's basketball team to a 52-46 win against the University of Wisconsin-Stout to begin play at the D3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas, Nev.
Hayley Martin scored a game-high 21 points on eight-of-13 shooting (61.5 percent) and grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds to complete the double-double. She also blocked five shots. Trine had one other player score in double figures in sophomore Katy Steers (Portage, Ind./Portage) who tallied 11 points in addition to grabbing six boards.
UW-Stout (6-4) led by three points early in the first quarter, but Trine (11-0) ended the period by outscoring the Blue Devils, 11-3, to take a 13-8 advantage after the first 10 minutes.
Both team's offenses got off to a slow start in the second quarter with the first points not coming until the 7:23 mark when junior Brandi Dawson (Garrett, Ind./Garrett) connected on a jumper to give the Thunder their largest lead of the half of seven points, 15-8. UW-Stout then scored five straight points to make it a one-possession game, 15-13, with 6:14 to go in the quarter. The Trine lead was later cut to a point, 19-18, just under the three-minute mark, but the Thunder never relinquished the lead as back-to-back baskets by Steers and Dawson ended the scoring in the half and extended the margin to five points, 23-18, at the intermission.
Hayley Martin opened the scoring in the second half with a three-pointer to make the score, 26-18, in favor of Trine. Still leading by eight points, 28-20, UW-Stout went on a 6-0 scoring run to make the score, 28-26, and ended the third quarter outscoring Trine, 11-4 overall, to make it a one-point game, 32-31, heading into the fourth quarter.
The Blue Devils took the lead to begin the fourth quarter with a three-pointer and maintained a two-point edge, 36-34, following a pair of free-throws with eight minutes to go in the game. Trine then took control as a layup by Steers sparked a 14-0 run to regain the lead for good and led by as many as 12 points, 48-36, with 2:54 left to play. UW-Stout made a final push in the final minutes and cut the Thunder lead to five points, 51-46, with just 15 seconds remaining. Hayley Martin then hit one-of-two free-throw attempts to increase the lead to six points. The game ended with a missed layup by the Blue Devils as the Thunder went on to the 52-46 final.
Trine shot 41.3 percent (19-of-46) for the game and went 12-of-15 at the free-throw line (80.0 percent). The Thunder defense held UW-Stout to just 25.9 percent (15-of-58) shooting overall, including just three-of-16 (18.8 percent) from three-point range.
The Thunder will wrap-up the two-day event tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 29) with a matchup against No. 3 nationally-ranked, and defending NCAA Division III national champion, Amherst (Mass.) College. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.