TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (5-1) vs. ST. XAVIER COUGARS (1-4)
Wednesday, November 18 | 7:30 p.m.
Van Dixhorn Arena | Deerfield, Ill.
 

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DEERFIELD, Ill. - The first CCAC doubleheader of the season is on tap for Wednesday night, when Trinity International men's and women's basketball will play host to the St. Xavier Cougars. Tipoff in the women's game is set for 5:30 p.m., with the men expected to start at 7:30. 

Women's Preview
• The Trojans are off to their best start in three seasons, going 2-2 over their past four games. Trinity swept the LaQuinta Classic two weeks ago, defeating Emmaus Bible (Iowa) and Cincinnati Christian, but fell at home last Saturday to Goshen (Ind.).

• Trinity has four players averaging double figures in the early season, led by JaToya Woods, with 18.5 points per game. Junior forward Basha Ramsey made her season debut against Cincinnati Christian, scoring 12 points.

• Two newcomers have made a big impact so far, in juniors Surina Falvo and Marlou Peters. Falvo has started all four games for TIU and is averaging 11.8 points per game by shooting 44.4% from three-point range. Peters has collected 10.5 points each night, and is shooting at a .643 clip.

• Trinity ranks 11th in the CCAC, with 62.5 points per game; St. Xavier's 88.5 points per game this year ranks 2nd in the conference.

• Defensively, the Trojans rank 8th in the league with 63.8 points allowed each game. St. Xavier ranks 6th, with 63.0 points per game.

• Against Emmaus Bible on Nov. 6, Falvo finished with 25 points, the highest single-game point total for the team this season. The Cairns, Australia native went 11-for-15 from the field, including 3-for-5 from long range.

• Peters and Ramsey each have a double-double on the year; in the first game of the LaQuinta Classic, Peters recorded 24 points and 10 rebounds over Emmaus Bible, while Ramsey picked up 12 points and 13 boards the following night in the win over Cincinnati Christian.

• St. Xavier comes into Wednesday night's matchup with a perfect 4-0 record and the No. 3 ranking in the NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Cougars have scored no less than 81 points in each game while earning victories over #22 Asbury (Ky.), 83-75, and #9 Marian (Ind.), 81-67.

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Men's Preview
• At 5-1, Trinity's men's basketball squad have their best record through six games in recent history. The Trojans are coming into conference play on a three-game win streak, with wins over Emmaus Bible (Iowa), Olivet (Mich.), and Lincoln Christian (Ill.).

• Trinity boasts a well-balanced attack, with all five regular starters averaging double figures. Junior Grant Corsi leads the team with 13.2 points per game. 

• Junior forward Zach Kirschbaum is nearly averaging a double-double, with 10.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The Las Vegas, Nev. native ranks 2nd in the CCAC in rebounding, and is 6th nationally in the NAIA with 4.75 offensive boards per game. He also is tied for the conference lead in double-doubles, with two. Kirschbaum picked up 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Emmaus Bible, then scored 12 points with 11 rebounds against Lincoln Christian.

• Trinity ranks 2nd in the CCAC, with 91.8 points per game; St. Xavier's offense comes in 11th, averaging 75.2 points per game .

• On the other end of the floor, the Trojans rank 10th in the league with 77.2 points allowed each game. St. Xavier allowed 81.0 points per game, good for 13th in the CCAC.

• Three Trojans have reached the 20-point mark in a game this year. Freshman guard Jeremy Carlyle set the season high with 26 points in the win over Olivet (Mich.) last weekend. Carlyle finished the day going 8-for-10 from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range.

• The Trojans will go for their first win in a CCAC opener on Wednesday since 2010-11, when TIU defeated Purdue-North Central to start league play with a 1-0 mark.

• St. Xavier are off to a 1-4 start, and are on a three-game slide entering the matchup with TIU. The Cougars have dropped two straight matchups to nationally-ranked teams, on the road at #14 Grace (Ind.), and at home to #4 St. Francis (Ind.)