ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University women's basketball team continued their run through Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play on Saturday afternoon in a matchup with the Olivet College Comets. The Thunder were able to top their opponents from the north by a score of 81-34.
Trine is now 6-2 overall in the 2022-23 season and a perfect 3-0 in MIAA action. Thus far, Olivet is 2-7 and 1-2.
The Thunder forced 25 turnovers while committing only eight themselves, a major key to victory on the day. A 48-33 edge on rebounds for Trine helped propel the team to a 70-49 shot differential. The defense held the Comets to 26.5% (13-of-49) from the field.
Distributing the basketball efficiently helped get Trine easy looks at the basket and open three-point field goals. In total, the Thunder handed out 26 dimes on 31 made shots – just two off the school record for most assists in a single game. Senior Alyssa Argyle was the team leader with five assists in the game.
After the first 10 minutes, Trine had a 20-6 lead and never trailed in the period. After both teams turned the ball over early, senior Katie Sloneker knocked down a three to open the scoring. Sophomore Sidney Wagner, freshman Abby Sanner and sophomore Katie Tate helped complete a 10-0 run that lasted until two minutes and change in the first. Argyle connected on back-to-back three-point shots in the final minute of action to continue the onslaught.
After a miss to start the second quarter, Trine came away with points on nine consecutive possessions to open up a 40-12 lead. The first eight points in the period belonged to the Thunder as seniors Sam Underhill and Makayla Ardis got in the scoring column. Wagner pushed the pace on offense to push the lead to 46-16 at the break. Tate and Argyle tied for the first half lead in scoring with nine apiece as the team shot a blistering 59.4% (19-of-32) from the field.
With the outcome of the game well in hand, the Thunder looked to their bench for support. 14 of the 17 points scored in the third quarter came from the bench unit, including eight points by freshman Addison Hutson. She knocked down a pair of attempts from beyond the arc and chipped in at the charity stripe for two. Classmates Sanner and Jordan Walters also scored in a 17-7 period in favor of the home team.
It was more of the same in the fourth as freshmen Erin Sherwood and Alexis Snodgrass as well as sophomore Tiana Maat made field goals for the team. Maat found Snodgrass for a triple with 4:03 to go to give Trine their largest lead of the afternoon and Sherwood did the same in the final moments of the game to get to the 81-34 result.
Tate and Hutson tied for the team lead in scoring with 11 points apiece. Sanner was also in double figures with a career-high 10 points. Wagner, Snodgrass and Katie Sloneker had five rebounds each in a team effort on the glass. As a team, the Thunder scored 34 points off turnovers, 30 points in the paint and 14 points on 17 offensive rebounds, a team-high this season.
"I love this team," Tate mentioned postgame. "We're always encouraging each other and I think that's what got us going today. We're always saying "next play" and that really helped me at least for today."
Up next, it's a matchup at #1 Hope College on Saturday, December 17 beginning at 3 p.m.