ANGOLA, IND.  --  The Trine University women's basketball team defeated Kalamazoo (Mich.) College, 69-46, in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and regular-season finale to clinch a share of its second-straight MIAA regular-season championship at the MTI Center on senior day.

The Thunder held the Hornets to single-digit scoring in all but one quarter and led by as many as 37 points en route to their 23-point victory.

As a team, Trine shot 48.3 percent (29-of-60) for the game and was led in scoring by junior Montana Martin (Columbia City, Ind./Churubusco) with 15 points on five-of-six shooting (83.3 percent), including a perfect three-of-three from three-point range.  In addition, Montana Martin was second on the team in rebounding with seven boards.  The duo of senior Hayley Martin (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) and junior Brandi Dawson (Garrett, Ind./Garrett) rounded out the high scorers with 13 points each.  Hayley Martin also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

The Trine (23-2, 15-1 MIAA) offense started out slow in the first quarter which allowed Kalamazoo (9-16, 6-10 MIAA) to score the first baskets of the game to grab an early 4-0 lead.  A few minutes later, a bucket by Hayley Martin began a string of 15 straight points and the Thunder defense held the Hornets scoreless the rest of the period, resulting in a 15-4 lead for Trine after the first frame.

The scoring run continued for Trine into the second quarter with back-to-back jumpers by freshman Shay Herbert (Pinckney, Mich./Pinckney) that gave the Thunder a, 19-4, advantage.  Trine continued to pull away in the period and posted its first 20-point margin with 4:26 left in the half following a three-pointer by Montana Martin that made the score 31-9.  The Thunder went on to lead by as many as 29 before the end of the half that included a 42-13 score at the break.

Coming out of the locker rooms, Trine kept the offense going with a 13-5 run to begin the third quarter to jump out to a commanding 55-18 advantage with just over three minutes left in the period.  KZOO scored the final points of the quarter, but Trine still maintained a 35-point lead going into the final period.

The fourth quarter saw Trine lead by 30 or more points for a little over half the period.  The Hornets made it a 22-point game, 64-42, at the 1:48 mark, but the game was already well in hand for Trine as the Thunder cruised to the 69-46 final to claim a share of the conference regular-season title.

KZOO was held to just 25.4 percent (16-of-63) shooting and had one player score in double figures in Emily Kozal with a game-high 25 points.

Trine will be the number two seed in the MIAA Tournament that begins next Friday, Feb. 24.  Hope (Mich.) College will serve as host as the top-seeded team.  The Thunder will take on third-seed Albion (Mich.) College on Friday in Holland, Mich. with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.