MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – The Trinity International Trojans earned their first-ever season sweep over the Cardinal Stritch Wolves thanks to a three-point road victory, 72-69 on Saturday.
Box Score | Season StatsJunior wing
Grant Corsi led the way in scoring for the third straight game, posting 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, and a perfect 3-for-3 performance from beyond the arc.
"I think everyone who was in attendance tonight saw how tight our basketball family is," said TIU head coach
Boomer Roberts. "We didn't shoot it well and we had some silly turnovers, and we still beat a good team in their home floor."
The Trojans (17-11, 10-9 CCAC) jumped out to an early 6-0 lead thanks in part to two quick scores from
Henry French. Trinity would hold a lead throughout the entire first half, but CSU's Tyler Semenas would make it a one-point game at intermission, 42-41, with a three-pointer in the final 30 seconds. Corsi and
Thomas Amrine led the way with 11 first-half points, each knocking down three treys apiece.
Cardinal Stritch (10-18, 7-11 CCAC) rallied in the second half, using a 9-0 run to claim their first lead of the day, 56-53 with 13:05 remaining. The Wolves would lead by as many as seven points, with Billy Kirby's layup at the 8:04 mark, to make it a 63-56 lead for the home team.
Trinity started to climb back into the game over the final six minutes, with a pair of free throws from
James Glass kick-starting an 8-1 run to tie the game at 64-64. The Trojans allowed just one field goal over the final 3:33, outscoring the Wolves 8-3 down the stretch.
"It's a testament to our guys resolve, toughness, and our love for each other," said Roberts on his team's response to Stritch's second-half run. "We hit big free throws, and Zach [Kirschbaum] and James cleaned up the glass. Grant was very efficient, Henry filled up the stat sheet, and Thomas hit some huge shots for us. There are some other things, like our point guards' ball pressure and our tight huddles, stuff that doesn't show up in the stats but had a big impact on the game. We've grown a lot, and it's paying off down the stretch."
Kirschbaum posted 17 points in the win, while Amrine collected 14 points and French scored ten.
The Trojans return to Van Dixhorn Arena for the final two games of the regular season, starting with a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, Feburary 16. Trinity hosts Maranatha Baptist (Wisc.) for a 6:30 tipoff, before taking on No. 15 Robert Morris on Senior Night, February 20.