KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Trine University women's basketball team concluded the regular season on Saturday afternoon with an 86-45 win at Kalamazoo College. The Thunder enter the postseason at 18-7 overall and 12-4 inside the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). The Hornets will miss the MIAA Tournament after going 4-21 and 1-15 in league play.
Trine tied for second in the conference standings with Calvin University, but lose the tiebreaker with the Knights to fall to the three seed. The Thunder will host the first round of the MIAA Tournament on Wednesday, February 21 against the six seed, The University of Olivet. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the team's first postseason contest.
Trine shot 52.2% (36-for-69) from the field, their third-highest mark of the year. 86 total points is the most since the conference season began for the Thunder. Trine dominated inside with a 52-18 advantage in the paint. Sidney Wagner led the team with 18 points, however Abby Sanner (12 points) and Katie Tate (10 points) were both perfect from the field to get to double figures.
Sierra Hinds started the game with a made shot from downtown, but Kalamazoo brought the game back to even at 8-8 at the halfway point in the first quarter. A 7-2 run capped off by Chelsi Giesige put Trine back in front 15-10 and Allie Walther made it 19-15 with four points late in the period.
Jada Rhonehouse got one to go from three-point range and knocked down two from the charity stripe to get the lead to double-digits at 26-16 and the Thunder were able to keep their foot on the gas pedal from there for the remainder of the game. A 21-10 difference in scoring in the second quarter made the score 40-25 at the break.
The third quarter would be more of the same for Trine as they pulled away from their opponents. A 28-13 difference in scoring was paced by Sanner's eight points while she, Wagner and Tate combined for 21 points in the period. That group was 10-for-12 from the field. Seven of the first eight possessions for Trine resulted in points to put the lead at 68-38 with ten minutes to play.
A pair of makes by Wagner and a three by Hinds resulted in the starting lineup being removed with 8:07 left on the clock. Angelina Tringali, Jordan Walters, Anna Grim and Kearston Stout entered the scoring column in the closing minutes of the game to wrap up the 86-45 victory.
More information will be available soon about the MIAA Tournament next week on www.trinethunder.com.