Box Score DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Trinity International held a second-half lead over 5th-ranked St. Xavier, but a cold streak on offense down the stretch ended the Trojans chance to shock the Cougars, falling in the end 80-72. Freshman Thomas Amrine led TIU with 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting, and four three-pointers on the night, as four Trojans in all finished in double figures.
The Trojans (4-24, 2-15 CCAC) held a 70-69 lead with 5:04 to play, when junior Nate Ball put his team ahead with a layup. TIU would be held without a field goal from that point onward, as St. Xavier (24-4, 14-3 CCAC) escaped with the win.
TIU came out firing, taking a narrow lead throughout much of the first half. Sam Salem knocked down one of his two treys on the night just 90 seconds into play, putting the Trojans in front. Trinity International took their biggest lead of the night whenJames Glass knocked down a jumper at the 13:26 mark, giving TIU a 14-7 edge.
After a dunk from SXU's Tony Core tied the score at 35-35, marking the fifth time the Cougars had tied the game, they went ahead for the first time on a pair of Kyle Huppe free throws with 2:04 to play until the halftime break.
A three-pointer from Huppe made it a five-point SXU lead with a minute still to play, but Amrine answered with a three of his own on the next possession. St. Xavier would hold a narrow 42-40 advantage at the end of the half.
The Trojans shot just 38.9% (14-36) in the first half, compared to St. Xavier's 48.3% (14-29), but committed just three turnovers while forcing nine mistakes on the defensive end.
Justin Peeples tied the score at 46-46 with his jumper at the 17:24 mark of the second half, thanks to Nate Ball working to pull down the offensive rebound. St. Xavier answered with a 9-2 run over the next two and a half minutes, and looked poised to put the game away. Their lead reached as high as nine points when Brad Karp's layup put SXU ahead 59-50 with 13:07 to play.
Trinity International's big run of the night came over the next three and a half minutes. Amrine answered immediately with a three pointer to bring the Cougars back to within six. After a pair of Trojan buckets, Amrine stepped up again with another trey, this time to take a 60-59 lead. The freshman from Ramstein, Germany scored again on the next possession, posting eight points during TIU's 14-0 run, as the Trojans held a 64-59 lead with 9:45 on the clock.
SXU worked to tie the game by getting to the foul line, shooting 8-for-10 from the charity stripe as part of a 10-4 run that put the Cougars back ahead, 69-68 with 5:51 to play. Ball's layup briefly put TIU ahead, before the team went cold from the field, and the Cougars took control the rest of the way.
Along with Amrine's 18 points, Salem collected 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting and a pair of threes. Peeples and freshmanAndy Stauffer both posted 11 points on the night. Ball led the way in the post with a team-high eight rebounds.
Trinity International will head to face Robert Morris in the final road game of the season next week, as the Eagles and Trojans square off on Wednesday, February 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Arlington Heights, Ill.
