Trine head coach Andy Rang and the Thunder bench celebrate their late lead in Friday night's first round NCAA Tournament game. Photo by Steve Frommell, UW-Oshkosh athletics

In a game that was as close as the preseason poll suggested it would be, Trine played stellar defense and outlasted Gustavus Adolphus, 61-58, in double overtime, ousting the fifth-ranked Gusties from the Tournament.

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The game featured two teams that started the season in a similar position and then took different roads to the NCAA Tournament.

Gustavus Adolphus and Trine were ranked No. 15 and No. 17 respectively in the preseason poll. The Gusties ripped through the regular season, going 25-2 and winning the MIAC regular season and tournament titles, while Trine fell out of the Top 25 and needed to beat Hope in the MIAA title game to extend its season.

In Friday night’s first-round matchup, the teams took turns controlling a quarter in the first half. Gustavus scored eight of the game’s first 10 points and led 12-10 at the end of the first period. Trine responded by shooting 54 percent in the second quarter, with all five starters scoring, and led 27-21 at the half.

In the second half, the Gusties quickly pulled within two points of Trine at 29-27 and neither team led by more than four the rest of the game. Erin Sherwood’s layup doubled Trine’s lead from two to four at 37-33 with 2:46 left in the third, and that was still the score entering the fourth quarter.

The teams traded leads in the fourth quarter until Izzy Quick scored a layup that gave the Gusties a 46-43 advantage with 2:53 left in regulation. Trine All-American Sidney Wagner immediately responded with a three-pointer, pulling the Thunder into a 46-all tie, and both offenses once again went silent, managing just two points each for the rest of the period . The Gusties had a potential game-winning three-point shot attempt that missed, and the teams headed to overtime tied at 48.

The first overtime period played out much like the fourth quarter, with the teams trading leads and their defenses shutting each other down. Katie Tate’s jumper gave the Thunder a 54-51 lead, but the Gusties pulled even again on Quick’s layup with 1:24 left. Neither team scored over the remaining 84 seconds, and the game went to double overtime.

In the second overtime, Jada Rhonehouse put the Thunder in front 57-56 by splitting a pair of free throws and Wagner added a layup, taking Trine’s lead to three. Morgan Kelly hit a jumper that pulled the Gusties within one with 29 seconds left and Trine called timeout to advance the ball. The Thunder got the ball to Sierra Hinds who was fouled with 27 seconds left. She hit both free throws, putting Trine back up by three.

On the ensuing Gustavus possession, the Gusties missed a three and a layup with the later shot landing out of bounds. Trine had a chance to ice the game at the free throw line and missed both shots, giving Gustavus one final chance to tie the game. As with the previous late shots, the Gusties’ final three was off the mark and Trine celebrated its 61-58 victory.

Sidney Wagner finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five steals in 40 minutes. Tate scored 15 points in 42 minutes and Sherwood added 10 off the bench for the Trine (22-7).

Emma Kniefel led Gustavus Adolphus (25-3) with 12 points in 48 minutes on a night when both defenses shined brightly. The teams combined for 46 turnovers and held each other to 4-for-19 shooting from three.

"It felt like we got stops when we needed to," Trine head coach Andy Rang explained. "We built this team on our defense, and I thought we played some really good defense tonight."

In a Trine season with several ups-and-downs, it was fitting that the game followed suit, with the Thunder’s defense ultimately prevailing.

"This game meant a lot to us," said Wagner in the postgame press conference. "This season has been a little bit of a roller coaster and to beat a nationally-ranked team in a battle like that makes us really excited."

Trine advances to the second round of the Tournament where the Thunder will face sectional host and 18^th-ranked UW-Oshkosh. The Titans defeated No. 25 Webster, 57-42, eliminating the unbeaten Gorloks from the Tournament.

This is the seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament in which the Thunder have won at least one game.