ANGOLA, Ind. – Nate Tucker saved the best for last, the senior tallied a career-high 30 points in his final game inside the MTI Center to lead the Trine University men's basketball team to a 94-77 win over Albion College on Tuesday evening. The Thunder (19-7, 10-4 MIAA) outscored the Britons (14-12, 7-7 MIAA) 50-32 in the second half to post the convincing victory.
 
The Thunder shook off what Head Coach Jon VanderWal called "tournament jitters" in the second half. Trine trailed 45-44 at halftime despite shooting 58% from the floor, the difference maker was the defense. Trine limited an Albion team that shot 53% in the first half to just 33% in the second. Six Thunder scored in double figures, Jayden Bradshaw, Elias Lewis, Danny Flood, Logan McKenzie, and Cade Brenner all joined Tucker with 10 or more.
 
Lewis and Flood opened the game assisting each other on the first three Trine baskets. Flood found Lewis on a backdoor cut for a two-handed jam to open the game. The two then found each other for a pair of triples to give Trine an 8-4 lead. Cade Brenner scored nine of Trine's next 14 three at a time. The first three came on an and one, then he nailed a pair of long balls. Bradshaw added another to bolster a 10-point Thunder lead.
 
McKenzie and Drew Panning protected the lead with some tough paint baskets. McKenzie scored six in the paint during a back-and-forth stretch. A pair of layups and a contested hook shot fell for the senior and Panning drove through the lane for his bucket that banked in from the top of the glass. A pair of Tucker jumpers and a triple from Flood helped preserve Trine's lead through a cold stretch but ultimately Albion would claim the lead late in the half.
 
Tucker scored 23 of his 30 in the second half, scoring from all over the court. Tucker made nine of nine free throws to boost his free throw percentage that ranks seventh in the nation. He added two triples and a plethora of shots from his favorite spot, the mid range. He scored Trine's first five points and Bradshaw gained the lead with the next four.
 
Logan McKenzie stole an inbound pass and then the momentum with a breakaway dunk. Trine's next possession ended in a high-flying alley-oop from Flood to Lewis that forced a timeout from the Britons. Trine pulled away after the break, Bradshaw, Tucker, and Flood all connected from downtown. Tucker added a mid range jumper and two free throws to give Trine a 73-61 lead. The Thunder kept the hammer down, scoring 10 of the next 12. Brenner had three and Tucker sunk a turnaround baseline fade away jumper to push the lead to 19. Tucker capped his night with four consecutive makes at the free throw line to tally his career high 30 points.
 
Trine advances to the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament on Friday evening. The Thunder will travel to top-seeded Olivet for a 7:30 p.m. tip off.