BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - Senior foward
Zach Kirschbaum had a career day, finishing with a game-high 32 points, as No. 20 Trinity International secured its 11th consecutive victory, 94-77 at Olivet Nazarene on Saturday afternoon.
Box Score | Season Stats
Kirschbaum finished the day 11-for-18 from the field, and 10-for-14 from the free throw line, and recorded 10 rebounds for his 15th double-double of the year, most in the NAIA. Sophomore guard
Jeremy Carlyle pitched in with 22 points, going 8-for-9 in the win, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Senior wing
Henry French nearly earned a triple-double, posting 11 assists, 9 rebounds, and 7 points.
"We wanted to use our size and quickness to control the paint tonight, and our guys executed very well," said
Boomer Roberts after earning his 50th career victory as head coach of the Trojans (17-3, 10-1 CCAC). "Zach was terrific, Henry was really good on both ends, and Jeremy and Grant scored some big buckets in the second half that kept our foot on the pedal."
Olivet would lead by as much as six midway through the first half after a Tyler Crater three-pointer at the 10:41 mark. Trinity would respond however, as layups from French and Kirschbaum started an 11-2 run that put the Trojans on top 24-21 with 7:16 left to play in the first half. Ten straight points for TIU late in the half would stretch their lead to 11, after one of Carlyle's three-pointers made it 40-29 at the 1:08 mark; one more layup for the Tigers would cut the deficit to 40-31 at the half.
Kirschbaum would collect 17 points in the second half, while Carlyle and
Grant Corsi would each score 11 after the break, as Trinity maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way. Kirschbaum's bucket at the 3:53 mark put TIU ahead by 22, their largest lead of the day at 88-66.
"We still have plenty of room to grow as a group, but I love our guys' ability to focus and prepare on a daily basis," said Roberts. "God is blessing our team, and we're enjoying the journey."
With the victory, the Trojans have a chance to match the longest win streak in program history, originally set on Nov. 28, 1995 - Jan. 24, 1996, when the Trojans won 12 in a row. Trinity will have a tough test for win number 12, as the Trojans will host No. 14 Robert Morris on Wednesday, January 18, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
