Manchester University women top Trine, stretch win streak to four

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NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – Manchester University put a pair of players in double figures and limited visiting Trine University to less than 25 percent shooting from the field en route to a 57-41 win Monday, Dec. 16.

Capturing the program's fourth consecutive win and moving to 5-3 overall, MU broke away from a 10-10 tie on the heels of an 8-1 run midway through the first half and didn't look back. The Black and Gold led 25-18 at the break and expanded the advantage in the second half before closing with the 16-point victory. Trine (1-7) did move as close as six at a few moments in the second half but couldn't get any closer.

"I'm proud of the team chemistry and hard work we've had in practices lately," Spartans' head coach Josh Dzurick said. "I feel like the team is seeing a direct correlation between those two things and the fact we've put some wins together lately.

"You've got to credit Trine for taking us out of our game for a while," he added. "However, we made some adjustments, and the team responded by getting some good transition looks in the second half."

Senior forward Erynn Meiklejohn (Fort Wayne, Ind.), continuing a recent skein where she's reeled off four straight double-figure contests, tallied 11 points, six rebounds, an assist and steal and two blocked shots in following up her single-game career high 26-point effort at Rose-Hulman last weekend. Junior forward Abby Lang (Indianapolis, Ind.), compiling her second successive double-figure appearance, ended with 11 points. Other strong numbers for the home team came from sophomore guard Justine Kruger (Francisville, Ind.) who tallied an impressive stat line of nine points, five assists and eight rebounds and junior guard Alyssa Smith (Bluffton, Ind.) who finished with seven points and eight boards.

MU's defense was just as sound. It limited the Thunder to 24.5 percent field goal shooting surrendered just one three-point bucket.

The Spartans break from competition until competing in the Albion College of Michigan Classic Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 28 and 29. They face Olivet College at 6 p.m. Dec. 28 and the host Britons at 4 p.m. Sunday.

NOTES: Manchester University's current win streak is the program's longest since the 2011-12 squad pieced together a similar string … The run has been fueled by a stout defense. In three of the wins, the opposition has hit 31 percent or less of its field goal attempts … Meiklejohn's roll of four straight double-figure games has helped her points-per-game average climb better than four points (8.8 – 12.9) … Junior guard Jocelyn Hamilton (Columbus, Ind.), who went into the game as the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference assists' leader, registered her eighth consecutive multiple-assist outing with two.