ALBION, Mich. – The #11 Trine University men's basketball team picked up a 72-69 win over Albion on a snowy Wednesday evening in Michigan. Drew Moore returned to the Thunder lineup and picked up where he left off with 16 first half points and a game high 21. Aidan Smylie had a near double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds and Emmanuel Megnanglo swatted four shots. The Thunder are 19-3 (9-2 MIAA) and the Britons drop to 9-13 (4-7 MIAA).

Smylie got the Thunder going early, scoring five of the first seven. Moore then got going with his first of three first half triples. He was then fouled on another triple attempt and converted all three free throws; then he knocked in another long ball to give Trine a 22-11 lead. Albion cut the lead to six with under four minutes but Moore's third triple immediately pushed the lead back to nine. Trine closed the half with six made free throws, the Thunder made 32 of 42 free throws as the two teams combined for 74 total free throw attempts. Trine led 35-24 at the break.

Trine opened up a 19 point lead early in the second half and looked set to pull away after Smylie and Grant Pahl hit threes and Cam Smith and Nate Tucker made layups. Over the next ten minutes the Britons trimmed the lead to one with a 24-6 run. The Thunder would score their last 13 points from the free throw line, shooting 13 of 14. After a Briton layup cut the Thunder lead to 61-60, Tucker drove to the basket and drew a hard foul that left him and a Briton defender on the floor. Albion's coach disagreed with the call and was given a technical foul. Moore knocked in the free throws and then Tucker made his pair to give Trine some breathing room. Trine made their last nine free throw attempts of the night to secure a 72-69 win.

Trine returns home on Saturday for senior day, the Thunder host Olivet at 3:00 p.m.