Arena
Olivia Mansoory, TIU Sports Info

Men's Basketball

Rematches with Judson, St. X ahead for Trojans

916vs.264

TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (12-13, 7-8 CCAC) vs. JUDSON EAGLES (4-22, 1-14 CCAC)
Wednesday, February 11 | 7:30 p.m.
Van Dixhorn Arena | Deerfield, Ill.

 

916at1318

TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (12-13, 7-8 CCAC) at ST. XAVIER COUGARS (15-10, 9-6 CCAC)
Saturday, February 14 | 3:00 p.m.
Shannon Center |  Chicago, Ill.


Game Notes | Twitter Updates | Live Video: Judson | St. Xavier

Season Stats: TIU | Judson | St. Xavier

Quick Notes
• With just four regular season games remaining, the Trinity International Trojans look to close out the year on a positive note, with a potential spot in the CCAC Tournament on the line. This week, the Trojans will play host to the Judson Eagles, before travelling to Chicago to face the St. Xavier Cougars over the weekend.
• Live video will be available for both games, and links to both webcasts can be found on the men's basketball schedule page at TIUTrojans.com.
• Trinity is in the hunt for their first winning season since 1998-99, and can clinch a .500 record with three wins over the next four games.
• The Trojans are looking for their first and only season sweep over a CCAC North Division opponent when they welcome the Eagles, whom TIU defeated 70-64 in Elgin on Dec. 13. TIU is hoping to get some payback for an earlier loss at the hands of the Cougars, after being edged at home 107-86 to SXU on Dec. 3.
• The Trojans were on a ten-game winning streak, before the loss at Roosevelt on Jan. 31. It was the team's longest streak since the 1995-96 season, when the Trojans won 12 straight games en route to an NAIA Tournament appearance and NIIC conference title. Since then, the Trojans have dropped three straight.
• Three players are averaging double figures for TIU this season, with senior point guard Justin Peeples scoring a team-high 13.5 points per game. Nate Ball has contributed 12.3 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds each night, while Thomas Amrine has scored 12.2 points per game.
• Judson enters play this week having lost ten straight, and are 0-11 on the road this season. The Eagles started the season by dropping their first 12 games, then winning four in a row before starting their current slide.
• St. Xavier are 4-4 in their last eight games, but have taken four of their last five games at home.
• On Jan. 27, Trojan guard Thomas Amrine became TIU's second CCAC Player of the Week of the season, after matching a school record with eight three-pointers made in TIU's road win over Olivet Nazarene on Jan. 21. The sophomore earns his first-ever Player of the Week award, and the second for a Trojan this season (Nate Ball, Nov. 5).
• Amrine matched his career high with eight three-pointers again last weekend, scoring 24 points to lead the Trojans in last weekend's 80-77 loss to Trinity Christian.
• The Trojans are averaging 75.6 points per game, good for 5th in the CCAC. Judson ranks last in the league, with 64.9 points per game, while St. Xavier leads the conference, with 81.5 points per game.
• Defensively, the Trojans offer up 75.3 points per game to their opponents, ranking 11th in the CCAC. Judson comes in 10th, giving up an average of 75.0 points per game. SXU gives up the most points on average in the league, at 76.8 points per game.

Series History with JU & SXU    
• Trinity leads the series with Judson 15-11, dating back to the 2003-04 season.
• The Trojans have won five of the last seven meetings over the Eagles, including the last two matchups, in a 70-64 win earlier this season, and a 71-60 victory on Feb. 12 of last season, both in Elgin.
• Judson has dominated the series on the road as of late, having won seven of the last eight meetings on Trinity's home court, stretching back to 2007-08.
• Since 2003-04, St. Xavier has held a 14-0 record over Trinity International, averaging 95.0 points per
game over the Trojans during that time.
• SXU has reached the century mark six times over the last 10 meetings, most recently in their matchup earlier this season, in what was a 107-86 win for the Cougars on Dec. 3.

Last Time Out vs. Judson    
• Sophomore Thomas Amrine gave Trinity International a narrow lead throughout much of the game, while senior Justin Peeples kept his team in front with some clutch free throws, as the Trojans snapped a nine-game slide with a 70-64 road win over the Judson Eagles, on Dec. 13
• Amrine collected 15 first-half points, knocking down three treys, while Peeples scored 14 points after the halftime break to lead the Trojans down the stretch, including a 7-for-9 performance from the free throw line. 
• Trinity led most of the first half despite a slow offensive start, as the Trojans took a 7-2 edge after almost five minutes of action. Judson answered with seven straight to briefly move in front, but Amrine's three-pointer at the 13:05 mark put his team in front for the rest of the first half. The Eagles kept things close, however, as Will Woodhouse's field goal with 24 seconds left made it a 35-34 halftime score. Judson then came out for the start of the second half with three straight points to hold a 37-35 lead as the crowd in Linder Fitness Center started to rally.
• A jumper from Amrine with 17:20 remaining moved TIU back in front by a 40-39 margin, and started a 12-5 run that gave the Trojans a six-point advantage with 14:52 to play. TIU's biggest lead of the day came on Sam Salem's three-pointer, giving TIU an 11-point edge, at 59-48 with 11:14 remaining. Judson chipped away in the closing minutes, eventually making it a two-point game with 16 seconds to play, after Scott Nelson's jumper closed the gap.
• Peeples iced the game for the Trojans, however, going 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final two possessions to clinch the victory. The victory marks the first win for TIU in CCAC action, and is the first conference win for first-year head coach Boomer Roberts.

Last Time Out vs. St. Xavier
• Trinity International managed a then-season-high 86 points, along with a 44.6% shooting performance from the field, but despite the high-powered offense Wednesday night, the No. 19 St. Xavier Cougars managed to leave Van Dixhorn Arena with a 107-86 win over the Trojans on Dec. 3.
• Five Trojans finished in double figures, led by senior Justin Peeples' 16 points. In 13 minutes off the bench, senior Paul Badgley picked up a career-high 13 points, on 6-of-7 shooting, all of which came in the second half.
• TIU held a brief lead in the opening minutes, as Joshua Ajayi opened the game with a layup after a Thomas Amrine steal. Following a pair of David Chatman free throws that put Trinity in front 4-2, St. Xavier answered with a 16-4 run over the next three minutes, to build a double-digit advantage, 18-8.
• The Cougars would hold the lead the rest of the way, building a 65-43 halftime edge. SXU shot 69.7% (23-33) from the field in the first half, while the Trojans struggled at a 37.1% clip (13-35). Trinity International would outscore St. Xavier in the second half, 43-42, but were unable to get back into the ballgame.
Sam Salem also posted double figures off the bench, with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Nate Ball and Ajayi each posted 10 points on the night.

1,000 Point Club    
• With his game-high 19 points against Cardinal Stritch on Nov. 25, Nate Ball recorded his 1,000th career point during his TIU career. The senior enters play this week with 1,220 career points.
• Ball becomes the second active Trojan to join the 1,000-point club, joining fellow senior Dillon Wadsack, who has tallied 1,147 points as a Trojan.
• Dan Dondit (1979-83) holds TIU's all-time scoring record, having tallied 2,499 points during his Trojan career.

Senior-Heavy Squad
• The 2014-15 Trojans feature five seniors on the team, all of which are playing significant minutes.
• Seniors Justin Peeples and Nate Ball are two of the three players averaging double figures, with Peeples collecting a team-leading 13.5 points per game, and Ball contributing 12.3 points & 8.2 rebounds each night.
Dillon Wadsack, who returns after missing all of last season to injury, has been the Trojans sixth man, averaging 5.9 points per game off the bench.
Sam Salem has averaged 2.8 assists per game, and has added in 7.6 points per game while shooting 38.7% from the field.
Paul Badgley has seen action in 18 of 25 games for Trinity International this season, and had his career-best game, against St. Xavier on Dec. 3. The Rushville, Ind. native scored a career-high 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, also setting new career bests in field goals made and field goals attempted.

Trojans in the Polls    
• Trinity International has appeared in the NAIA Division II Coaches Poll 21 times in program history, but not since the 1997-98 campaign.
• TIU's last ranking came on Jan. 6, 1998, when the Trojans came in at No. 20.
• The highest ranking in program history was during the 1995-96 season, when Trinity was at No. 3 in the Jan. 22, 1996 poll.

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Players Mentioned

Thomas Amrine

#23 Thomas Amrine

G
6' 1"
Sophomore
Paul Badgley

#33 Paul Badgley

F
6' 4"
Senior
Nate Ball

#34 Nate Ball

C
6' 7"
Senior
Justin Peeples

#3 Justin Peeples

G
6' 0"
Senior
Sam Salem

#45 Sam Salem

G/F
6' 4"
Senior
Dillon Wadsack

#10 Dillon Wadsack

G
6' 1"
Senior
David Chatman

#15 David Chatman

F
6' 4"
Junior
Joshua Ajayi

#21 Joshua Ajayi

G
6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Thomas Amrine

#23 Thomas Amrine

6' 1"
Sophomore
G
Paul Badgley

#33 Paul Badgley

6' 4"
Senior
F
Nate Ball

#34 Nate Ball

6' 7"
Senior
C
Justin Peeples

#3 Justin Peeples

6' 0"
Senior
G
Sam Salem

#45 Sam Salem

6' 4"
Senior
G/F
Dillon Wadsack

#10 Dillon Wadsack

6' 1"
Senior
G
David Chatman

#15 David Chatman

6' 4"
Junior
F
Joshua Ajayi

#21 Joshua Ajayi

6' 1"
Freshman
G