ADRIAN, Mich. – The Trine University women's basketball team used a 34-point second quarter with eight three-point field goals to pull away from Adrian College for a 70-34 regular season finale win.
The Thunder finished with a record of 22-2 overall and 15-1 record in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) action. That was enough to clinch a share of the regular season crown and Trine will have home court advantage in the MIAA Tournament. It is the first MIAA Championship for Trine women's basketball since the 2018-19 season when the Thunder were 16-0 in league play. The Bulldogs wrap up the regular season at 8-16 and 5-11 in conference play.
It was a slow start offensively for the Thunder, with a three by Tara Bieniewicz [Chesterfield, Mich. / Dakota] the only Trine points for over five minutes. Luckily, the defense held tough and they only trailed by one point before a Sophie Sloneker [Monroe, Ohio / Monroe] made lay-up allowed Trine to reclaim the lead.
Sidney Wagner [Warsaw, Ind. / Tippecanoe Valley] drove the length of the floor with time expiring in the period and found Makayla Ardis [Lake City, Mich. / Lake City] in the corner for three to take a 12-7 lead after one.
From there, the Thunder would launch from beyond the arc. Kayla Wildman [Rockford, Mich. / Rockford] got things started with a made three and scored 10 points in the first four minutes and change that led to an Adrian timeout. Bieniewicz made three shots from deep of her own coming out of the break to go up 37-13.
Katie Sloneker [Monroe, Ohio / Monroe] and Kaylee Argyle [Freeland, Mich. / Freeland] each hit three-point shots down the stretch and as time expired in the second, it was Kaylee Argyle finding Katie Sloneker for a three on the wing to seize a 46-14 lead going into the break.
In the second, Trine outscored the Bulldogs 34-7 and shot 70.6% (12-of-17) from the field and 80.0% (8-of-10) from three.
Kelsy Taylor [Louisville, Ky. / New Albany] scored the first five points for the visitors and Alyssa Argyle [Freeland, Mich. / Freeland] connected on a three to make it 54-20 halfway through the third. Sam Underhill [Grand Rapids, Mich. / Northview] got her name in the scoring column late in the third with a made jump shot as the Thunder coasted to a 59-27 edge through three.
The trio of Taylor, Ardis and Underhill all made their marks offensively in the midst of a 5-0 scoring run in the fourth, while freshmen Brooke Brauher [Big Rapids, Mich. / Morley Stanwood] and Tiana Maat [Victoria, BC, Canada / Belmont Secondary] knocked down the 12th and 13th three-point field goals of the game for Trine to get to the 70-34 final.
The Thunder forced 28 turnovers and averaged one point per miscue on offense. The Trine bench outscored Adrian 32-6 in the game and defensively, the Bulldogs were held to 27.5% (14-of-51) overall and 14.3% (3-of-21) from deep.
Bieniewicz was the leading scorer with 12 points, all coming on three-point field goals, and Wildman had 10 points. Nine points were accumulated by Taylor while bringing in a team-high eight rebounds. Wagner and Sophie Sloneker tied with three assists each and Wagner contributed three steals as well.
Up next, Trine will host the Quarterfinal Round of the MIAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, February 23.