GRANVILLE, Ohio – Ally Capouch erupted for 17 first half points to lead the #24 Trine University women's basketball team to a dominant 90-45 victory over the Shenandoah University Hornets on Friday night. The Thunder (23-5, 15-1 MIAA) advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament tomorrow night against the winner of Denison University and Southern Virginia University. The Hornets (20-8, 11-5 ODAC) conclude their season with the loss. Trine has now won at least one game in all nine NCAA Tournament appearances
 
Capouch led with a game high 19 points, Sophie Gesell pitched in a career-high 14 points and four blocks. Madison Wagner and Hailey Cole joined the duo in double figures with a dozen points each. Olivia Marks led the rebounding effort with 11 boards. Trine's 90 points are the most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.
 
Marks got Trine on the board three minutes into the game to tie it at two. Capouch gave the Thunder the lead with a triple and added to it on the next possession in the midrange. The Trine defense stepped up over the next four minutes, holding the Hornets scoreless as the offense built a 15-6 lead. Wagner scored five and assisted on two of Trine's eight points in the run. She scored in the lane and then found Gesell in the same spot. A triple pushed the lead to 15-6, Gesell and Marks led the way on the defensive end. Gesell notched three blocks and Marks had six rebounds.
 
The offense did not miss a beat early in the second quarter as Wagner and Capouch connected on three pointers to push the lead to 21-8 and force a time out from SU. The timeout did little to cool off Capouch, the junior buried three more to put Trine in full control, the defense pitched in with a shot clock violation and a pair of one-shot possessions. Gesell stifled a 7-2 run by the Hornets with a lay in and Cole added one of her own, Addison Hutson assisted both buckets. Cole scored seven of Trine's last nine to give the Thunder a 43-23 advantage at the break.
 
Trine scored their first 16 points of the third quarter inside the paint or at the free throw line in what was a dominant effort in the lane all night. Trine held a 44-22 advantage in points in the paint and out rebounded the Hornets 45-26. Gracey Metz and Zoe Willems piled on two more three pointers to end the quarter.
 
Gesell pitched in eight of Trine's first 10 in the fourth quarter between the block on the way to a career high scoring output. 14 of Trine's 20 fourth quarter points came in the paint.
 
The Thunder will play either site hosts Denison University or Southern Virginia University tomorrow, March 7, at 7:30 p.m.