TIU Men's Basketball's comeback over Lakers comes up just short
Greg Gorham
Box Score Box Score | Season Stats
DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Four Trojans finished in double-figures, as Trinity International had a last-second shot to send the game into overtime, but falling short, 73-70 to the Roosevelt Lakers on Saturday night. A pair of freshmen in Sean Smith and Andy Stauffer led TIU with 11 points apiece, while a pair of juniors in Nate Ball and Justin Peeples collected 10 points on the night.
The Trojans (3-19, 1-10 CCAC) held an early lead over the Lakers, reaching as high as five points with Peeples' jumper at the 16:56 mark of the first half. Roosevelt answered with a 21-4 run, taking control of the first half with a 12-point lead inside the ten-minute mark of the first half.
The Lakers (12-11, 4-9 CCAC) closed the half on a 10-5 run in the final three minutes, taking a 41-25 halftime lead. Trinity International actually shot better than Roosevelt in the first half going 9-for-20 (45.0%) from the field, compared to the Lakers' 15-of-37 (40.5%); Roosevelt knocked down seven three-pointers before the break, however, to take the 16-point edge.
Trinity International started to chip away at the deficit after Roosevelt scored four straight to open play in the second half. A three-pointer from Stauffer at the 12:38 mark closed the gap to 53-39, the slimmest margin of the half at that point, before RU's Korey Ryan answered with a trey of his own. Over the next five and a half minutes, TIU would outscore their opponents 14-3, as a pair of free throws from Josh Markum made it a 59-53 score.
Back-to-back layups from Thomas Amrine and Smith cut the lead to 59-57 at the five-minute mark, before another three-pointer pushed the Laker lead back to two possessions. The Trojans would make it a one-point game at three different points in the closing minutes, but Roosevelt answered each time on the next play; once with a layup from Korey, and twice by knocking down free throws in the closing minutes.
TIU held the ball with six seconds to play, trailing the Lakers 73-70; Ball got a shot off from the left wing to tie the game and force overtime, but the shot was just off the mark.
Ball finished with his CCAC-leading 11th double-double of the year, as the Galena, Ill. native pulled down ten rebounds on the night. The junior also recorded a team-high four assists. Markum posted four steals on the night to lead TIU.
The Trojans return to the Meyer Sports Center on Monday night, when they host the Robert Morris Eagles in a re-scheduled game that was postponed due to the recent winter weather. Tipoff against the Eagles is set for 7:30 p.m.
