SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Four players posted double figures, led by freshman T.J. Johnson's career-best 19 points, as 17th-ranked Trinity International picked up win number 20 on the season, 81-74 over the host Indiana-South Bend Titans on Saturday afternoon.

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Johnson finished 7-for-11 from the field, leading the Trojans (20-4, 13-2 CCAC) in scoring for the first time in his early career. Senior forward Zach Kirschbaum recorded his NAIA-leading 19th double-double, with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Grant Corsi posted 11 points, while Luke Mead contributed 10 points off the bench. 

"We certainly have areas where we can improve, but to win on the road you have to be tough, and those 16 guys in our locker room are proving how tough they are," said TIU head coach Boomer Roberts after leading the Trojans to their second consecutive 20-win season, and the 7th in program history. "South Bend leads the country in threes made, and to hold them to 7-for-23 was a testament to how hard our guys played defensively."

Trinity nearly led from start to finish, jumping out to a 9-3 lead thanks in large part to Johnson, who scored seven of the first nine points during the run. The Trojans would go up by as much as 14 in the first half, after Johnson's free throws at the 10:51 mark gave TIU a 24-10 advantage. Indiana-South Bend (11-13, 5-10 CCAC) would respond with nine unanswered, but Mead would end the drought with just over seven minutes left in the half as the Trojans would re-build their advantage to 44-34 at the halftime break.

Coming out to start the second half TIU went on a 16-3 run to nearly put the game out of reach, with a pair of converted free throws by Henry French giving the Trojans a 60-37 lead with 14:12 remaining.

The Titans chipped away at the deficit throughout the rest of the game, eventually pulling to within three, 75-72 on Avery Harmon's layup with 1:12 to play. Kirschbaum made it a two-possession game with a layup on the other end of the floor, and Mead would ice the game by going 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute.

"T.J. played his best game as a Trojan, and we are seeing him mature with each game. Zach handled their double teams well, and Grant's versatility continues to be huge for us," said Roberts. "There is no doubt in my mind that our guys will keep working each day, and our best basketball is ahead of us."

Trinity finishes the current two-game road swing on Wednesday night, February 1, when the Trojans take on Judson beginning at 7:30 p.m.