ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's basketball team suffered a 75-64 defeat at the hands of Calvin University, who sit atop the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings. The loss keeps Trine in a tie for third place after Albion College fell to Alma College.
The Thunder (15-8, 8-4 MIAA) celebrated six seniors prior to today's game with the Knights (17-6, 10-2 MIAA). Calvin was able to shoot 52.6% (30-for-57) from the field and turned the ball over just nine times.
"Our goal is still ahead of us," head coach Brooks Miller mentioned postgame. "It's to get to the NCAA Tournament. We need to really improve. We have a really tough challenge ahead at Kalamazoo on Wednesday, who played us really tough here. We have to find a way to put it in the basket more consistently."
One area in particular that was a struggle today for the Thunder was the free throw line. Trine was just 15-for-25 on freebees, some of which were missed on the front end of a one-and-one, negating a further opportunity at points.
The Thunder recorded scores on three of the first four possessions, including makes from the field by seniors Aiden Warzecha [Milford, Mich. / Milford] and Nick Bowman [Angola, Ind. / Hamilton Southeastern], but Calvin was able to throw the first punch by going up 10-6 through the first four minutes.
The Knights went up 17-9 before Trine was able to get the ball inside to their bigs. Brent Cox [Kendallville, Ind. / East Noble] and senior Mitchell Geller [Huntington, Ind. / Huntington North] combined for the next six points, including a drop step and dunk from the senior Geller, but Calvin answered with points of their own to maintain the lead.
Brent Cox made the only three-point field goal of the first half with just over five minutes left in the first half, but Trine could not break through the bubble of a five-point deficit. The Knights' largest lead of the first half came at 32-22, but a 6-2 scoring run for the home team over the final three minutes of the first half kept the Thunder within reach 34-28 at the break.
Senior Bryce Williams [Archbold, Ohio / Archbold] and Emmanuel Megnanglo [Cotonou, Benin / Amelia Academy] found the scoring column early in half number two, and a Williams wing three cut the Calvin lead down to four, 43-39.
The Knights ballooned the lead to as many as 17 with eight minutes and change to play and the Thunder were desperate for stops and points. Following a timeout, Trine went on a 12-2 run to pull back within single digits, 63-56. Warzecha and Bowman were each fouled on three-point attempts and went to the line to score with the clock stopped.
Unfortunately for the Thunder faithful, the run was answered by Calvin and the Knights sustained the advantage in the final three minutes to take it 75-64.
Bowman was Trine's leading scorer with 24 points, rebounder with nine, and tied for the team-lead in assists with Williams and Warzecha at three. Geller was also in double figures scoring with 12 points.
The Thunder hit the road for their final two regular season games. First up, Trine faces Kalamazoo College on Wednesday, February 16 at 7:30 pm.