DEERFIELD, Ill. - Junior
Zach Kirschbaum posted a game-high 21 points, as five players finished in double figures for Trinity International, to earn a 103-71 victory over the Maranatha Baptist (Wisc.) Sabercats inside Van Dixhorn Arena on Tuesday night.
Box Score | Season StatsHenry French finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including a season-high three three-pointers.
Thomas Amrine posted 13 points, while
Grant Corsi tallied 12, and
James Glass came off the bench with ten.
"I'm proud of our intensity on the defensive end tonight, forcing turnovers that led to us getting out on the break," said head coach
Boomer Roberts after Trinity forced a total of 29 turnovers on the night, just one shy of their season-best. "MBU is a program that is getting better and they play hard all the time, and we matched that intensity."
A close battle early, Maranatha (10-12) held a narrow lead for the first few minutes of the game, beginning with a bucket from Zach Terpstra off the opening tip. The Trojans (18-11) briefly took the lead, but Terpstra's three-pointer at the 16:42 mark edged the Sabercats back in front, 9-8. Corsi's three-pointer on the next trip down the floor but the Trojans back in the driver's seat, kick-starting a 20-3 run that gave Trinity a 28-12 lead with 10:56 remaining in the first half. Four three-pointers and a pair of dunks from French fueled the run that gave TIU a lead they would hold the rest of the night.
Leading 52-40 at the break, TIU expanded their advantage in the second half, opening on a 17-4 run. The Trojans would lead by as much as 39 points in the second half, after Kirschbaum's dunk at the 8:24 mark.
"Our bench gave us great minutes, and I thought our guys were very focused on getting the ball to the paint first," said Roberts. "It was a good win for us, and we look forward to the incredible challenges ahead in the next couple of weeks."
The Trojans host No. 19 Robert Morris on Saturday night, in the final game of the regular season. The team will honor the senior class before tipoff, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.