GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Trine University women's basketball team conquered Calvin University on Saturday afternoon 79-49 to pick up their third consecutive victory and move to 2-0 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play.
The Thunder (7-1, 2-0 MIAA) won every quarter against the Knights (4-4, 0-2 MIAA) and held Calvin to just 5-of-20 (25.0%) from deep while going 11-of-23 (47.8%) themselves. Trine forced 22 turnovers and scored 28 points on the other end of the floor and outscored their opponents off the bench 40-8.
Kayla Wildman [Rockford, Mich. / Rockford] made a lay-up on the first possession of the game, then notched a steal that led to a Kelsy Taylor [Louisville, Ky. / New Albany] made jump shot on the next possession to immediately show the Thunder meant business. Wildman was cash on a three to extend the lead to 7-0 just two minutes in.
Makayla Ardis [Lake City, Mich. / Lake City] crashed the glass hard for an and-one and Katie Sloneker [Monroe, Ohio / Monroe] netted her second field goal of the half to wrap up a 16-7 first quarter.
The Knights cut into the Thunder lead with a 7-2 run to start the second, but Tara Bieniewicz [Chesterfield, Mich. / Dakota] got the lead back up to double figures at 25-14 with a made jumper and one from distance. Bieniewicz sparked a 12-0 scoring spurt for Trine that was bookended by a Rachel Stewart [Pekin, Ind. / Eastern] free throw.
Stewart became the team's scoring leader at the half by scoring eight second quarter points, including a pair of shots from the charity stripe as the half came to a close. The freebies gave the Thunder a 41-22 lead at the midway point.
Trine was held without a score for nearly three minutes into quarter number three, and an Ardis made three were the only Trine points in the first five minutes of action. The defense held strong and kept at least a 15-point edge throughout the quarter, but a late flurry of three-point field goals buried Calvin towards the end of the quarter.
Wildman and Bieniewicz each knocked down two shots from behind the line to make it 60-38 with one period left.
A 13-0 run from 5:36 to 3:20 in the fourth resulted in a lopsided final score. Bieniewicz hit two three-point shots and a third from Alyssa Argyle [Freeland, Mich. / Freeland] kept the scoring run going. Chelsi Giesige [Paulding, Ohio / Paulding] hit a pair at the free throw line to cap a 79-49 victory.
Five made three-point field goals matches Bieniewicz's season-best. She totaled 17 points to lead the Thunder. Wildman got in double figures scoring for the first time this season with 11 points, nine of which coming on three-point makes. Stewart and Ardis came off the bench and scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Sam Underhill [Grand Rapids, Mich. / Northview] grabbed a team-high five rebounds.
It will be a full week until the Trine women are back in action. A home game against Olivet College on Saturday, December 11 at 3 pm awaits the number seven team in NCAA DIII. That game will follow the men's basketball game versus Wisconsin-La Crosse at 1 pm.