ALMA, Mich. – The Alma College men's basketball team returned to midweek action against the nationally ranked Trine Thunder who are currently 11th in the D3Hoops.com poll, on Wednesday, January 10th. The Scots fought until the final buzzer but ultimately came up short falling to the Thunder by a final score of 83-71.
Trine opened up the scoring for the game at the charity stripe as they took an early 1-0 lead until Connor Riley scored on a layup to give Alma the one-point lead. The Thunder then went on an 11-2 run to regain the lead and start to pull away from the Scots in the first five minutes. Alma would find difficulty on offense early in the game facing the Thunder defense that is nationally known for getting stops, but the Scots would keep it within eight with just over nine minutes remaining in the first half. Another run by Trine would extend their lead into double-digits but the Scots would keep it within several possessions of tying the game back up. A late push from the Thunder offense would open the game up heading into the half as the Scots entered the break trailing 47-27.
Opening up the latter frame, both offenses traded baskets early, before the Scots were able to crack into the Trine defense and create some offensive production. A 9-0 run over a couple of minutes brought the Scots within 10, heading towards the final ten minutes of game play. Trine would hold onto a ten-point lead for some time as the Scots were finding ways to get stops on defense including a fast break layup block from Riley, though the Scots were struggling to capitalize on the stops. Heading into the final five minutes, the Scots trailed by double-digits but they were not ready to give in as they kept the pressure and hoped to chip away before time expired. With a minute and a half remaining, Donovan Collins knocked down a three to bring the score to within ten, giving Alma a chance having to foul down the stretch. Alma would send the Thunder to the line where Trine would go one for two on multiple occasions, keeping Alma's hopes alive for an upset. Though the misses wouldn't be enough as last-minute shots from the Scots would bounce around the rim but would not fall when they needed them the most. Trine would escape Alma on a snowy night 83-71, and dodge an upset.
Team scoring proved throughout the night as Riley would lead the Scots with 14 but both Gabe Bourdeau and Xavier Glenn Jr. would finish closely behind with 12 each. Collins also scored 11 on three of six shooting from behind the arc. Riley also found a way to find open teammates throughout the night as he collected six assists in the game, tying for the game-high. Collecting eight rebounds for the Scots was also Riley, leading the team in that category as well. The Scots were able to cause Trine to turn the ball over 15 times on the contest, scoring 10 points off of them. Alma's bench was also able to outscore the Thunder's bench 28-17 throughout the game.
Alma will now look to get back on track this weekend as they hit the road for the first time in conference play as they will travel to Kalamazoo College on Saturday, January 13th. The game will begin at 3:00 PM inside the Anderson Athletic Center.
