OLIVET, Mich. - Behind the senior leadership of Sydney Spragg (Reading, Mich./Reading) and Haley Killingbeck (Poneto, Ind./Southern Wells) the Trine University women's basketball team held off Olivet College 50-47. The win improves the Thunder to 10-9 on the season and 4-6 in the MIAA.

After Olivet score the first three points of the game, the Thunder answered back to take a 4-3 lead early. After trading baskets, the Comets would score five straight to re-take the lead 10-6. Trine would again answer back as Killingbeck hit back-to-back three's to lead 14-11. Olivet would again tie the score, but Killingbeck would answer right back hitting another basket from long range. It would be nearly 2:30 later until another basket, but Olivet would tie the game at 18 on a three of their own. After the Comets hit a jumper to take the lead, Killingbeck would hit a pair of free throws before Spragg, freshman Alivia Recker (Arlington, Ohio/Arlington) and sophomore Lauren Tate (Syracuse, Ind./Wawasee) hit consecutive shots to give the Thunder a 26-20 heading into the break.

Trine forced 14 Olivet turnovers in the first half and converting them into 13 points.

It was a rough start to the second half for the Thunder as the Comets came out on fire going on a 10-1 run. Spragg would end the drought as she hit her first three of the night, tying the game at 30. The Comets would hit a jumper, but Spragg would answer right back with a step-back three to regain the lead. Neither team would find the bottom of the net for just over two minutes until the Thunder scored on back-to-back possessions to push their lead to eight, 44-36 with 7:33 to play in the game.

Olivet would go on a 9-2 run to cut the Trine lead to just two with 3:31 left. After Trine converted on a free throw, the Comets made a pair of them as the Thunder led was cut to just a point with a minute remaining 48-47. After Olivet missed a three, sophomore Kelsey Henselmeier (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) made a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left. The Thunder had a little bit of good luck as Olivet missed the ensuing three-point attempt, grabbed the offensive board and hit a wide-open three, but Olivet's coach had already called a timeout, negating the points and giving Trine the win.

Spragg led all players with a game-high 16 points, nine of which came from long range. Killingbeck was right behind with 15 points, also with nine coming from behind the arc. Henselmeier led all players with four steals while adding in seven points. Recker contributed with six points off the bench for the Thunder. In all, five different Trine players had four rebounds on the night.

Trine shot nearly 40 percent (18-of-46) from the floor on the night while the Comets made just under 30 percent (17-of-57). As a team, the Thunder recorded a season-low 26 rebounds, including just one on the offensive glass.

The Thunder will have the weekend off before returning to action at home on January 30 against Saint Mary's at 6:00 p.m.