RICHMOND, Ind. - It was a perfect weekend for the Trine University men's basketball team as they swept their way through the MIAA/HCAC Challenge, defeating Manchester University 78-61. The Thunder have now won three in-a-row and are 3-1 on the season.
Trine jumped out to an early lead after scoring the first four points of the game. From there though, the two teams would slug it out the rest of the half as they traded leads twice. With two minutes to go and the score tied at 31, the Thunder would score the final five points of the half to take a 36-31 lead into the locker room.
The second half started similarly as the two sides traded baskets. But with a two-point lead at 45-43, the Thunder would take off on a 9-point run in the span of just two minutes. The Spartans would quickly cut into the lead as Trine led by just three with just under 10 minutes to go in the game. Once again though, the Thunder would go on a quick burst, scoring 7 points in another two minute span. Trine would put the game away as they scored the final 8 points of the game, not allowing Manchester to score in the final two minutes.
Senior Ian Jackson (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) led the Thunder with a game-high 23 points and three steals while also dishing out three assists. Fellow senior Scott Rogers (Waterford, Mich./Kettering) added 18 points and a career- and game-high 7 blocks while also pulling down five boards. Freshman Nick Tatu (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) also scored in double-digits, adding in 13 points. Freshmen Jared Holmquist (Reed City, Mich./Reed City) grabbed a game-high eight boards while Travis Malone (Toledo, Ohio/St. Johns Jesuit) added a game-high five assists.
Trine shot 48 percent from the floor on the night, including 10-of-20 for the second half. The Thunder also shot 84.6 percent (22-of-26) from the charity stripe. The seven blocks by Rogers was the most since Thad Richardson made six at Adrian on February 5, 2005.
The Thunder will take the week off before hosting North Central (IL) on December 1 at 1:00 p.m.