DEERFIELD, Ill. - Inside a raucous Van Dixhorn Arena, Trinity International earned their biggest upset in recent program history, taking an 84-73 victory over the No. 5 Indiana-East Red Wolves.

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Tied with just under four minutes to play in the second half, the Trojans (10-3) shut the door on the defensive end, allowing just two field goals down the stretch. Two key three-pointers from Jeremy Carlyle, and a clutch 6-for-6 performance from the free throw line from Luke Mead allowed Trinity to pull away and earn an 11-point home win.

"Tonight was another great college basketball atmosphere and a big night for our entire University," said TIU head coach Boomer Roberts, who earned his fourth win over a nationally-ranked opponent while at Trinity, and the first over a top-five ranked program. "Our crowd was lit the whole game, our opponent was worthy of being fifth in the country, and our guys seized the moment."

Carlyle finished with a team-high 23 points on the night, including six three-pointers. Senior forward Zach Kirschbaum picked up his NAIA-leading 11th double-double, posting 18 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Coming off the bench, Mead contributed a season-high 17 points.

Trinity jumped out to an early 7-2 lead to open the game, but the Red Wolves (10-2) would respond, going up by as much as nine after a Jacoby Claypool layup at the 6:44 mark. The Trojans closed out the half on a key 16-0 run, holding the opponents off the scoreboard for the final 5:40 of the first period.

"Our seniors did what seniors do, making huge plays down the stretch, and Jeremy was really special," said Roberts. "When they made their run, we responded to their punches by throwing a few of our own. Coach Ford put them in a great position before the game, and then it was simply players making plays."

Keeping the momentum rolling, TIU came out strong after the break, with three buckets from Kirschbaum fueling an 8-2 run to lead 52-38 with 16:32 to play. Maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the next few minutes, Indiana-East rallied with under eight minutes remaining, scoring 13 unanswered to suddenly tie the game at 68-68.

Grant Corsi's tip-in off a missed shot edged the Trojans back in front, but more importantly began a 16-5 run over the closing minutes that would secure the win.

"This win wasn't just for our current guys," added Roberts. "It was for guys like Jason Irwin, Paul Badgley, James Glass, Thomas Amrine, Justin Peeples, David Chatman, Sam Salem, and so many other guys who bought into the direction we were heading three years ago. We know we aren't a finished product by any stretch, and our guys are legitimately hungry for more. It's a fun group to coach, so we're going to keep enjoying the ride and keep grinding."

The ride continues Saturday afternoon, when the Trojans step back into CCAC play by hosting the Calumet St. Joseph Crimson Wave. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m.