ALMA, Mich. – The Trine University women's basketball team won the third quarter 24-8 to secure a 66-53 road win at Alma College Wednesday evening. The #13 Thunder remain unbeaten in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play at 5-0 and are 12-3 on the season. The Scots fall to 4-11 and 2-4 in league play.
The teams battled evenly at the start of the game, with neither team getting ahead by more than one possession. Makayla Ardis visited the free throw line twice and converted all four attempts to go up 8-6 at the halfway point in the period. Addison Hutson buried the first three of the game for Trine off a feed by Alyssa Argyle and Abby Sanner had a three-point play the hard way to go up 16-11 at the end of the first.
Alma worked the ball inside effectively in the second quarter and ended up going into halftime with the game knotted up at 30. The Thunder were held to 4-of-13 from the field, but Sidney Wagner scored seven points to lead the charge for the team.
The margin in the third quarter would be the difference in the game. Eight consecutive possessions in the frame resulted in points for the Thunder, a 17-4 run that was sparked by an Ardis lay-up and back-to-back three's by Argyle and Katie Sloneker. Ardis recorded a pair of baskets to make it 12 straight points to open the third and force the Alma coaching staff to call for time less than four minutes in.
The break would be good for the Scots short term as they were able to get a couple of scores, but ultimately the offense would not be denied for Trine. Sanner and Ardis notched and-ones to increase the gap between the two teams to 16 at 52-36. Another make by Ardis, giving her 11 points in the quarter, made it 54-38 through 30 minutes.
The Thunder would build their lead all the way up to 21 at 64-43 with less than five minutes to play, but the Scots were scrappy to the bitter end. A Katie Sloneker lay-up with 3:06 to go would be the last time Trine scored in the contest as the final seven points were scored by the home team. Ultimately, it would not be enough in the 66-53 victory for the Thunder.
Trine had a stern advantage in rebounding with 36 compared to just 23 for Alma, seven belonging to the freshman Sanner. Ardis led the Thunder with 19 points on the night and was 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Wagner (14), Sanner (14) and Katie Sloneker (10) would also finish in double figures.
The road trip continues for Trine on Saturday, January 14 when the women's basketball team visits Kalamazoo College. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. in the Mitten State.