ANGOLA, Ind.-- A hot start by ninth-ranked Calvin proved too much for Trine to overcome, as the Thunder fell to the Knights 67-52 in MIAA-action Saturday afternoon in Hershey Hall.

Calvin shot 50 percent from the field (15-of-30) and knocked down 10-of-18 (56 percent) threes to open up a 24-point halftime advantage. The Thunder fought back to within nine in the second half but were unable to overcome the slow start. Breanna Verkaik led all scorers with 18 points on a 6-of-8 effort from the floor. Whitney Shaffer (Tipton, Ind./Tri-Central) led Trine with 14 points and knocked down 4-of-6 threes. She finished 5-of-7 from the field overall. The Thunder fall to 12-8 overall, and sit in fourth place in the MIAA with a 6-5 league mark. Calvin remains unbeaten at 19-0, 10-0 in conference play.

Ashley Elliott (Scottsburg, Ind./Scottsburg) came off the bench to score 10 points and grab five rebounds. The Thunder bench was largely responsible for a 12-3 run that brought Trine back within single-digits in the second half. The Trine bench produced 22 points, 17 of which came in the second half.

Tiffany Karger came off the bench to score nine points for Calvin. Kayla Engelhard added eight points and four assists. The Knights' pressure defense forced Trine into 20 turnovers, which Calvin was able to turn in to 21 points.

The Knights hit five of their first eight attempts from three, including a stretch where they hit 5-of-6 in racing out to a 26-8 lead midway through the first half. Verkaik and Ali Spade each hit a pair of triples during that stretch. The Knights would go on to lead by as much as 25.

Elliott, Taylor Cole (Mount Pleasant, Mich./Shepherd) and Kyleigh Hampton (Wabash, Ind./Wabash) sparked a 12-3 run in the second half to pull the Thunder back within single-digits. Trine did not commit a turnover during the four-minute run. Elliott scored five points on a layup and a layup-and-one, while Cole added four points. A Hampton three cut the score to 52-43 with 10:09 to play.

Calvin shut the door from there however, outscoring the Thunder 15-4 over the next seven-plus minutes to restore a 20-point advantage. The Knights forced five turnovers and turned up the defensive pressure to restore their advantage during the deciding stretch.

Trine returns to action this Wednesday, Feb. 4 when they travel to Albion. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.