ELGIN, Ill. -- Despite a 21-8 rally over the last three and a half minutes, Trinity International came up just short in their comeback attempt, falling to the Mount Mercy Mustangs 88-81, in their last game at the Judson University Classic. Sophomore guard Thomas Amrine led the Trojans with 17 points, going 4-for-5 from three-point range as four different Trojans finished in double-figures.

Box Score | Season Stats

Following a 20-point win over hosts Judson last night, Mount Mercy jumped out to an early lead over Trinity, taking the lead on their first field goal attempt of the night and leading the rest of the way. The first of Amrine's three-pointers pulled TIU to within a point at 4-3 at the 18:42 mark, before the Mustangs went on a 15-2 run to make it a 19-5 score.

Sam Salem's jumper with 11:26 to play in the first half cut the deficit to single digits, but another 15-2 run gave Mount Mercy their biggest lead of the night, at 36-15 with 4:31 to play in the half. MMU took a 42-25 advantage into the break, thanks to 18 points in the paint, compared with the Trojans' two. TIU also struggled to find it's shot in the first half, going 8-for-29 (27.6%) from the field.

A jumper from David Chatman and a four-point play from Amrine helped pull the Trojans a little closer in the opening minutes of the second half, at 44-31. The Trojans again chipped away, cutting the lead to single digits thanks to a 10-1 run, capped off with a pair of James Glass free throws and a Dillon Wadsack steal and fast-break layup, making it a 60-53 game with 9:55 remaining.

The Mustangs would again pull away from that point, however, until the rally in the closing minutes resulted in a seven-point game.

Chatman had another solid night, scoring in double-figures for the second straight game, finishing with 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Senior center Nate Ball nearly recorded his first double-double of the year, with 10 points and nine boards. Josh Markum came off the bench to add 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting from long range.

The Trojans will return to Deerfield for their home opener next weekend, as part of the LaQuinta Classic. TIU will host Grace (Ind.) on Friday, November 7, then Taylor (Ind.) on Saturday, September 8. Tipoff for both matchups is set for 8:00 p.m.