TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (3-23, 1-14 CCAC) at JUDSON EAGLES (6-20, 3-12 CCAC)
Wednesday, February 12 | 7:30 p.m.
Linder Fitness Center | Elgin, Ill.
TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (3-23, 1-14 CCAC) vs. #5 ST. XAVIER COUGARS (23-3, 13-2 CCAC)
Saturday, February 15 | 7:30 p.m.
Meyer Sports Complex | Deerfield, Ill.
Streaming Video (SXU Only) | Game Notes
Season Stats: Trinity International | Judson | St. Xavier
Twitter Updates: @TIUTrojans | @TIUBasketball_M | @JUAthletics | @gosxucougars
This Week
The Trinity International Trojans enter the last two weeks of the regular season when they travel to Elgin, Ill. to take on the Judson Eagles on Wednesday night, followed by a home matchup against the No. 5 St. Xavier Cougars this Saturday. Both the Eagles and Cougars took the early-season meetings over TIU, as the Trojans look to split the season series with each opponent, and earn the upset over a nationally-ranked opponent when SXU comes to the Meyer Sports Complex. The weekend matchup with SXU will be available online through the TIU Sports Network.
Last Time Out
With 13 lead changes throughout the game, the Trinity International Trojans battled toe-to-toe with the Purdue-North Central Panthers, but a run from PUC in the closing stages dropped the Trojans, 91-78 Monday night in the Meyer Sports Complex.James Glass led TIU with 19 points, as three Trojans finished in double-figures.
Sam Salem's three-pointer at the 10:41 mark of the second half tied the score at 60-60, but the Panthers would go ahead for good, with three layups on their next three possessions. PNC would maintain a narrow lead, until a 9-0 run would blow the margin up to 12 points, when PNC's Shereff Knight connected on a layup with 4:26 to play, making it a 79-67 Panther advantage. Along with Glass' 19 points, Andy Stauffer collected 12 points, while Justin Peeples pitched in with 11 points to finish in double figures.
Team Rankings
• Trinity International ranks 24th in NAIA-II with 12.8 offensive rebounds per game.
• Defensively, the Trojans are 41st in the NAIA with 190 total steals this season, and 50th in blocked shots, averaging 2.9 per game.
• In the CCAC, Trinity International ranks 6th in scoring offense, with 76.1 points per game.
• The Trojans have struggled on the defensive end, allowing a conference-high 88.7 points per game, and a .493 opponent's shooting percentage that ranks 13th in the CCAC.
• TIU is 6th in the CCAC with 7.3 steals per game, and 6th in blocked shots, with 2.9 per game.
• The team ranks 4th in the conference with 12.8 offensive rebounds per game.
Player Notes
#34 • Nate Ball
• Junior Nate Ball has averaged a team-high 13.5 points per game this season, along with a team-high 9.0 rebounds.
• The Trojans' primary leader in the frontcourt, Ball leads the league in rebounding, and ranks 18st in the CCAC in scoring average.
• Nationally, Ball ranks 16th in the NAIA in rebounding average, 13th in total rebounds (226), and is 4th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (3.9).
• Ball has collected a CCAC-leading 12 double-doubles this year, with his most recent coming in the loss at Trinity Christian on Saturday. Ball is the only conference player with ten or more double-doubles, and has four more than the second-leading player in the league.
• Last week, Ball averaged 18.7 points per game against Robert Morris, Cardinal Stritch and Trinity Christian. Against the Trolls, the junior tallied 23 points for his fourth 20-point performance of the year.
#23 • Thomas Amrine
• In his freshman season, Amrine has averaged 11.7 points per game, ranking 28th in the CCAC, and second in the league among freshmen.
• Amrine has averaged 2.8 three-pointers per game, good for 18th in NAIA-II, and 4th in the CCAC.
• The Ramstein, Germany native is shooting 40.6% from three-point range, 9th-best in the CCAC.
• Defensively, Amrine has 1.6 steals per game (9th in CCAC), and 42 total steals on the season (38th in NAIA-II).
• Earlier this month, Amrine set a career high with 27 points against Bethany, going 11-for-19 from the field, and 5-of-11 from long range; his 27-point outburst is the most by any Trojan this season.
• After scoring in double-figures for five straight games from Jan. 4-22, Amrine hasn't tallied more than eight points in the six games since.
#21 • Justin Peeples
• Peeples is averaging 9.9 points per game, and is one of the nation's best free throw shooters, knocking down shots at the charity stripe at a 86.1% (87-of-101) clip, ranking 3rd in the CCAC, and 15th in the NAIA-II.
• The Chicago, Ill. native has picked up double figures in 12 of the last 18 games, including a career-high 21 points in the Trojans' game with Judson on Dec. 14.
• Peeples averaged 6.7 points per game last week, but came back with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting against Purdue-North Central on Monday night.
#45 • Sam Salem
• Salem is averaging 9.2 points per game, and has the second-most three-pointers on the team, going 31-for-102 (30.4%) from long range.
• The sophomore leads the team and ranks 9th in the CCAC with 3.3 assists per game.
• Salem has recorded five or more assists five times this season, setting a career high with eight helpers in games against Reinhardt and Valor Christian.
#54 • Andy Stauffer
• Stauffer has started 21 of 26 games for TIU, starting against Purdue-North Central after coming off the bench the previous four games.
• The freshman is averaging 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds each game.
• Stauffer is the team's second-leading rebounder, ranking 26st in the CCAC overall, and third among league freshmen.
• The Colorado Springs, Colo. native had posted season- and career-highs with 20 points in the win against Valor Christian on Nov. 16.
• Stauffer has scored in double figures in three of his last five appearances, including 10 and 12 points against Trinity Christian and Purdue-North Central, respectively.
#22 • James Glass
• Having 18 starts this year, sophomore James Glass has bounced in and out of the starting lineup, but has earned a starting role in the Trojans' last five games.
• Glass is averaging 7.8 points per game, and 8.9 points each night as a starter.
• The sophomore has scored in double figures six times this season, setting a career high with 25 points against Reinhardt.
• Glass had his second-highest point total of the season against Purdue-North Central, recording a team-high 19 points, with an 8-for-9 performance from the free throw line.
#3 • Blake Mann
• Mann is averaging 5.7 points per game, including six games in double figures this season.
• The freshman has one double-double on the year, with a career-high 16 points and 11 rebounds in the Trojans' win over Valor Christian on Nov. 16.
• Mann recorded five points against both Cardinal Stritch and Purdue-North Central, but has been held scoreless in three of his last five appearances, playing an average of 3.3 minutes in those games.
#5 • Sean Smith
• Smith earned his first start of the season against Roosevelt on Feb. 1, and has started all five games since.
• The freshman is averaging 5.2 points per game, while shooting .484 from the field, the second-highest average by a Trojan this season.
• Smith set a career high with 16 points in the loss at Benedictine-Springfield back on Nov. 23
• The LaGrange, Ill. native picked up 11 points in back-to-back games, against Roosevelt and Robert Morris on Feb. 1-3.
Scouting the Opponents
Judson
• The Eagles sit 5th in the CCAC North Division, just two games ahead of TIU with a 3-12 conference record.
• JU comes into Wednesday's game having lost 11 of their last 12, with the lone win coming on the road against then-nationally-ranked Robert Morris, 93-86 on Feb. 5.
• Robert Morris ranks 12th in the CCAC with 71.0 points per game, and allow 85.8 points to their opponents, the 13th-lowest average in the league.
• Sophomore Turner Schwarz is one of two Eagles to average double figures, leading the team with 12.3 points per game, ranking 24th in the CCAC.
• Freshman Andrew Eck averages 11.6 points per game, good for 30th in the CCAC, and 3rd among conference freshmen.
• The Trojans lead the series over Judson since 2003, 13-11.
• Judson earned an 84-80 win over TIU on Dec. 14 in Deerfield. Justin Peeples led all scorers with 21 points in the loss.
#5 St. Xavier
• The Cougars enter the week on a two-game win streak, and have won 19 of the last 20 overall.
• SXU moved up one spot in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll, to No. 5, after wins over Purdue-Calumet and Judson last week.
• St. Xavier boasts the highest-scoring offense in the CCAC, averaging 90.9 points per game. Defensively, the Cougars allow 73.2 points to their opponents, ranking 8th in the CCAC.
• Senior Brad Karp is the conference scoring leader, with 26.3 points per game, rankign 5th in NAIA-II.
• Karp averages 2.6 steals per game on the defensive end, good for 2nd in the CCAC, and 7th nationally.
• The Trojans have not defeated SXU since 2003, going 0-12 in that stretch.
• SXU defeated TIU in Chicago 108-81 back on Dec. 3, as Nate Ball led the Trojans with 15 points and eight rebounds.
