DEERFIELD, Ill. - Despite a 14-point lead slipping away, the No. 20 Trinity International Trojans rallied to secure their 18th victory of the year, 81-73 over the St. Francis Saints on Saturday afternoon.

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Senior guard Luke Mead came off the bench to lead the Trojans (18-4, 11-2 CCAC) with 22 points, including a 11-for-12 performance at the free throw line. At halftime, Trinity honored the 2006-2007 Trojan basketball team that won the CCAC Tournament.

"Tonight was a great night for our basketball program," said TIU head coach Boomer Roberts. "We got to honor a very good team from ten years ago, and then we played well against a terrific opponent. We knew how physical St. Francis was, but our guys battled and matched them on the glass. I thought out bench was the difference in the game, and we were able to overcome some poor shooting early with clutch finishing plays down the stretch. Luke was huge for us tonight; the guy is a warrior, loves competing, and I'm really glad he plays for us."

A hard-fought first half saw six lead changes, as USF's Jo Jo Ballestero gave the visitors an 18-15 advantage with 10:59 to play in before the break. The Trojans would go on to out-score St. Francis 19-10 through the rest of the half. Mead and Jeremy Carlyle would lead Trinity with seven points each at the break.

The Trojans would extend their lead in the second half, using a 9-2 run and six straight points from Sean Smith to claim a 53-39 advantage at the 14:26 mark, their largest lead of the day. St. Francis (14-8, 8-5 CCAC) responded with 11 straight points spanning just two and a half minutes, cutting the TIU lead down to 57-54. 

With 3:14 left to play, the Saints would reclaim a narrow lead on Jake Raspopovich's layup, 71-70. Luke Mead would score on the very next possession to put the Trojans back in front. On the defensive end, Trinity would hold their opponents to just one more field goal in down the stretch to secure the team's 12th victory in their last 13 games.

The Trojans are back in action Wednesday night, when they host the St. Xavier Cougars. Tipoff from Van Dixhorn Arena is set for 7:30 p.m.