ALBION, Mich. -- The Trine men's basketball team defeated Albion, 79-62 Saturday afternoon in Kresge Gymnasium to secure its postseason spot in the MIAA Tournament.

The Thunder used a 16-3 run over a span of 4:38 to turn a five-point first half lead into a comfortable double-digit cushion it would maintain the rest of the afternoon. Trine's win denied Albion the chance to earn the No. 3 seed in the MIAA Tournament in a potential three-way tiebreak scenario and halted the Britons' five game winning-streak. The win gives the Thunder the No. 3 seed in the MIAA Tournament. Trine will face Calvin, the No. 2 seed, in the MIAA Semifinals Friday evening at Hope College.

Will Dixon (Indianapolis, Ind. / Zionsville) scored a game-high 25 points and dished out six assists to lead the Thunder. Dixon is now four points from passing Ian Jackson (2009-13) to become the school's leader in scoring since joining NCAA Division III in 2004. Dixon is ranked sixth in program history with 1,784 career points. Dixon's six dimes moved him into sole possession of eighth in team history with 306 career assists.

Myles Copeland (Toledo, Ohio / St. John's) provided a big lift off the bench for Trine with 18 points and seven rebounds. Copeland knocked down 6-of-11 from the field to rack up his scoring total in just 19 minutes of action. Kyle Dodson (Centerville, Ohio / Centerville) also reached double figures with 13 points on a 5-of-6 effort from the floor.

Albion was led by Corey Wheeler's 19 points. Wheeler also filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds and four assists. Jaylin Fordham was the lone other Briton to score in double figures with 10 points off the bench.

Trine knocked down an efficient 50 percent from the field (26-of-52) in the win. The nation's fourth-best three-point shooting team connected on 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) from long distance. The Thunder held a 37-23 rebounding edge, which helped produce 18 second-chance points.

The key run started with Trine holding a 23-18 lead late in the first half. Four quick points pushed the lead to nine before a Fordham three provided Albion's only field goal over a span of 5:28. The Thunder scored the last nine points of the half, highlighted by a Jordan Kreglow (Gibsonburg, Ohio / Gibsonburg) three to take a 36-21 lead into the break.

A Dixon three on the opening possession of the second half pushed the lead to 18 before a Fordham bucket halted the Trine surge. The Thunder would hold a double-digit lead the rest of the afternoon, pushing the lead as high as 25 when an Adison Daub (Corunna, Ind. / DeKalb) three made the score 64-39 with 9:05 to play.

The Thunder travel to Hope College for the MIAA Tournament, which begins Friday, Feb. 24. Trine will face Calvin in the Semifinals, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The winner advances to the championship game Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Hope secured the No. 1 seed with the regular-season championship. The No. 4 seed is dependent on the result of the Alma-Olivet matchup later tonight; a Scots loss would bring about a play-in game between Alma and Albion Wednesday evening.