ANGOLA, Ind. - At the MTI Center, nationally-ranked Trine was physical on the glass and effective in the paint en route to a convincing 80-52 victory over the Adrian women's basketball team in both side's conference-opener.

The Bulldogs (2-5, 0-1 MIAA) took the floor on Wednesday afternoon without the services of their top scorer Chelsea Palmer. The senior's absence was felt more significantly on the boards, however, as the homestanding Thunder out-corralled the black and gold 50-30 off of missed shots, including a 21-5 margin on the offensive glass. In fact, Adrian did not secure its first offensive rebound until the 6:27 mark of the third quarter.

Trine was able to translate its heavy presence on the glass into 32 points from the paint, including 16 second-chance points.

As for the Bulldogs, the locals mustered a 34-percent effort from the field to go along with a near-spotless showing from the charity stripe (11-for-13).

Chloe Gilbert paced ten different scorers for Adrian with 10 points, while Makayla Clement added seven points and four rebounds for the 'Dogs.

The Thunder opened the evening with the game's first nine points, carrying that momentum to a 26-10 advantage after the first frame.

Then, in the second quarter, the Bulldogs began to show signs of life with a 10-4 run to draw near a single-figure deficit, but Trine never let its opposition pull any closer than 30-20 with 6:50 on the clock in the first half.

After a demanding road trip, Adrian will, at last, make its home debut this Saturday afternoon against Saint Mary's. Tip-off from the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center is slated for 3 p.m.