OLIVET, Mich. – The Trine University men's basketball team powered by The University of Olivet on Friday night at the Cutler Event Center to advance to the MIAA Championship Game. Nate Tucker led Trine (20-7, 10-4 MIAA) to the 86-69 win over the Comets (15-11, 12-2 MIAA) with 21 points and eight rebounds.
 
The win marks the 20^th of the season, this is the 27^th 20-win season in program history. This is Head Coach Jon VanderWal's 10^th 20-win season in his career and the first with Trine.
 
Elias Lewis, Cade Brenner, and Jayden Bradshaw scored in double figures for Trine. Lewis and Brenner each knocked in four three pointers for the Thunder.
 
Trine opened the game with a 12-4 lead with help from Lewis and Danny Flood's sharpshooting from range. Tucker added four of his 12 first half points to help Trine pull away early.
 
Olivet took a 17-15 lead in response, Lewis and Brenner were quick with an answer from downtown. Tucker added the next six from the midrange before Brenner and Bradshaw buried triples to give Trine a 38-24 lead. Bradshaw gave Trine a 42-28 halftime lead with another triple, the Thunder connected from deep seven times in the first half.
 
Trine stretched the 14 point lead to 24 in the first six minutes of the second half as they looked to put Olivet away early and put two regular season losses to the Comets behind them. Brenner buried two threes and got help from Lewis and Tucker who each made another.
 
Olivet trimmed the lead to 15 through the middle portion of the second half but the momentum was halted by a monster put-back dunk from Drew Panning. The 6-9 junior flew in to grab a missed layup and stuff it through the rim. The Thunder kept Olivet at an arm's length from there. Bradshaw and Flood added insurance to the lead with triples and Tucker eclipsed 20 points for the second straight game with another jumper.
 
Trine takes on Hope College at Olivet tomorrow evening at 7:30 in the MIAA Championship Game. The winner will earn the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.