ANGOLA, Ind. – After nearly a month away from home, the Trine University women's basketball team was back inside the MTI Center on Saturday afternoon when the team faced Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foe Saint Mary's College. The Thunder were victorious by a score of 88-52 behind 47.9% (35-of-73) shooting from the field and 43.3% (13-of-30) from three-point range. Trine took advantage of 28 Belle turnovers and scored 33 points on the other end.
The #13 Trine Thunder move to 11-3 overall and remain perfect at 5-0 in league action. The Belles fall to 5-10 and 2-4 in conference play.
Saint Mary's started the game well by scoring 10 of the game's first 15 points. Three-point shooting by Katie Tate and Makayla Ardis gave Trine their first lead of the game with back-to-back makes from beyond the arc at 11-10. Those two field goals started an explosion of 18 consecutive points for the home team to take a 23-10 lead into the first quarter break. Alyssa Argyle, Sidney Wagner, Katie Sloneker, Sophie Sloneker and Abby Sanner all scored in a diverse attack on offense.
The run was extended at the start of the second to 27 straight points. Wagner, Tate and Ardis were responsible for the total. A made three by Saint Mary's with 6:50 to play in the half were the team's first points in nearly 10 minutes of game time. Wagner and Sophie Sloneker thwarted the comeback efforts of the visitors with another set of three-point makes. At half's end, it was the Thunder who held a 49-23 edge.
After winning the first two quarters with ease, Trine struggled in the third quarter and ultimately split points evenly at 16 apiece. Three straight baskets coming out of halftime forced head coach Andy Rang to call for time and regroup. A three-point make by Argyle coming off of an Addison Hutson offensive rebound ballooned the lead to 55-32 at the halfway mark.
The Thunder looked to get the ball inside to the freshman Sanner for the remainder of the third quarter. She netted four points late in the period and secured four rebounds as well. Ardis crashed the glass for an easy two to give Trine a 65-39 lead with 10 minutes left.
Ardis and Tate fired away from downtown once more before exiting the game as the team's leaders in scoring. They were relieved with 6:21 to go and from there younger players were given opportunities. Macayla McGowan buried a pair of attempts from long range to lead the unit and Tiana Maat, Erin Sherwood and Kearston Stout notched scores in the 88-52 win.
In total, Tate led the way with a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Wagner and Ardis each scored 17. To go with Ardis' 17 points, she also had a team-high seven assists and grabbed five rebounds. Sanner was key as well with eight points and eight rebounds.
"Everyone was really confident today with their shots," Tate said postgame. "I was shooting with confidence the best I could!"
Up next, the Thunder hit the road for back-to-back conference games. First is a matchup with Alma College on Wednesday, January 11 beginning at 5:30 p.m.