OLIVET, Mich. – The Trine University men's basketball team's bid for an MIAA Tournament Championship came up just short on Saturday night. The Thunder (20-8, 10-4 MIAA) fell to Hope College (18-9, 11-3 MIAA) 72-65 despite 24 points from Jayden Bradshaw.
 
Bradshaw added nine rebounds and did his damage at the free throw line, connecting on 11-of-15 attempts. Bradshaw's 136 made free throws are the 10^th most in a season and the fifth most in a season in Trine's Division III-era. Nate Tucker ends the season with a 91.5% rate on free throws, the best in a single season in program history. His career rate of 82.3% is ninth in a career and the third best career mark in the Division III-era.
 
Trine had a fast start, racing out to a 22-12 lead behind six points from Elias Lewis and Cade Brenner and five more from Bradshaw. Brenner and Bradshaw each connected on triples and Danny Flood added another. Trine would go the final 27:29 of the game without another shot made from range. Hope closed the half on a 19-4 run to take a 31-26 lead to the break.
 
The run extended into the second half as the Dutch stretched the lead to a dozen. Trine did not go without a fight. Bradshaw got to the free throw line for a pair and Tucker knocked in a pair of mid-range shots, his specialty. Elisha Jones cut the lead to a pair with an and-one layup. Flood scored six in a row to keep Trine in striking distance. The Thunder had a final chance with under a minute to play trailing by three. Trine looked to have the Dutch cornered when they heaved up an improbable three as the shot clock expired that found the bottom of the net and put Trine in a six-point hole with 11 seconds left to claim the victory.
 
This concludes the season for the Thunder.