VALPARAISO, Ind. -- David Chatman led Trinity International with 10 points, as the Trojans' hard-fought effort fell short Wednesday night, falling to NCAA Division I Valparaiso, 79-54 in exhibition action. 

Box Score

Trinity held a small first-half lead over the Crusaders, and were in front the host Crusaders as late as the 14:09 mark, following a jumper from Chatman. Sophomore guard Thomas Amrine came out shooting early, hitting two big three-pointers to put TIU in front in the opening minutes.

Valparaiso's over-sized lineup gained the momentum in the final few minutes before the halftime break, closing the period on an 22-5 run over the last 7:37.

Throughout the second half, the Trojans showed that they could hang around, as the Crusaders managed to score 37 points, outscoring TIU 37-30 after the half. The TIU defense held Valpo to an 0-for-8 performance from beyond the arc in the second half, and 2-for-13 (15.4%) overall. After being kept off the free throw line entirely in the first half, the Trojans went 12-for-13 (92.3%) from the charity stripe after the halftime break.

Valpo's inside presence made the difference, scoring 48 points in the paint compared to the Trojans 12, and outrebounding TIU 44-33. The Crusaders put up 22 second-half points off their 14 offensive boards.

"I'm really proud of the way our guys represented our program and our university tonight," said head coach Boomer Roberts after the game. "Playing against a very well-coached team who I feel will be in the NCAA Tournament, we were competitive for 35 of the 40 minutes. It was a great opportunity to play on ESPN, and I specifically thought our seniors showed what they are capable of."

Senior Justin Peeples finished the night with nine points on three treys, going 3-of-6 from long range. Nate Ball was the Trojans' leading rebounder, with six boards. Off the bench, James Glass and Paul Badgley picked up seven points apiece. 

"As a team, we believe our best is yet to come, and our effort in practice every day has shown that. We understand the next game is important for us, and we will continue to prepare to compete for 40 minutes."

Trinity International continues their current five-game road trip, when they head back into CCAC play with a visit to Judson on Saturday, Dec. 13. Tipoff from Elgin is set for 3:00 p.m.