(ANGOLA) - Both Trine University basketball teams will play for conference championships Saturday -- and automatic bids to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Thunder women, the top seed and tournament host, defeated Calvin 69-57 to reach their 11th straight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association title game. After building a double-digit halftime lead, Trine responded to a third-quarter rally when Ally Capouch hit two three-pointers in the final minute, including a buzzer-beater, to regain momentum before pulling away in the fourth quarter.
The Trine men delivered a major upset of top-seeded Olivet, winning 86-79 after entering the tournament as the No. 4 seed.
Olivet had swept the regular-season series, but the Thunder secured the victory when it mattered most.
Both teams will face Hope on Saturday for the conference crowns, with NCAA tournament spots at stake. Both games start at 7:30 p.m., the Lady Thunder play at home at the MTI Center in Angola. The men's team plays at Olivet's Cutler Events Center.