DEERFIELD, Ill. - The largest and loudest crowd of the season packed inside Van Dixhorn Arena on Friday night, and witnessed a nail-biting 79-76 victory for 11th-ranked Trinity International over the visiting Calumet St. Joseph Crimson Wave, in the CCAC Tournament semifinals.

Box Score | Season Stats

The victory advances Trinity (28-4) to Monday night's CCAC Tournament championship game, as the title will be settled in a rematch between the Trojans and top-seeded No. 7 Robert Morris, in a rematch of the regular season finale last Saturday. Trinity also clinches an automatic bid into the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship, which kicks off Mar. 8 in Branson, Mo. The team also set a new program record with their 28th win of the season.

"This was a special night for our University," said TIU head coach Boomer Roberts, who qualifies for his first NAIA Tournament as a head coach. "What a crowd, what an atmosphere we had. Both teams played fearlessly, and I'm proud of how our guys made some great plays in big moments. Cal St. Joe is talented, tough, and played really well; they're going to be a tough out in Branson."

Sophomore guard Jeremy Carlyle led TIU with 21 points in the win, leading the Trojans in scoring for each of the two tournament games to date. Greg Carlyle and Luke Mead each came off the bench to score 13 points, while Grant Corsi collected 12.

The game saw a total of 14 lead changes, with both teams taking their largest leads of the night late in the first half. Jeremy Carlyle's three-pointer at the 7:35 mark put Trinity ahead 32-25, but the Crimson Wave immediately responded with a 14-0 run, capped with back-to-back three-pointers from CCSJ's Devin Harrison to move ahead 39-32 with 3:06 remaining in the half.

Over the next 29 seconds, Trinity erased the deficit, as Greg Carlyle converted a four-point play, then Jeremy Carlyle stole the inbounds pass and knocked down another trey to tie the game 39-39.

A one-point Trojan lead coming out of the halftime break, both sides traded leads five times in the first two minutes of play. Calumet would hold a narrow lead until seven unanswered points midway through the half put the Trojans ahead 59-57 on another Jeremy Carlyle three-pointer with 12:21 remaining. 

The Crimson Wave took their last lead inside of 90 seconds remaining on a three-pointer from Harrison, 74-71. Jeremy Carlyle immediately tied the game back up with his fifth and final three-pointer, then after forcing a turnover, Greg Carlyle put the home team in front with a layup with 38 seconds on the clock. Trinity's defense forced two turnovers down the stretch to close out the win, as free throws from Corsi and Jeremy Carlyle put the game out of reach.

"The twins were spectacular, and Luke [Mead], Grant, and Henry led us as they have most of the season," added Roberts. "I thought T.J. [Johnson], Sean [Smith], and D.J. [Watkins] sparked us with their effort, even if it doesn't reflect in the box score. This team's love and joy is hard to match, so to break the school record in front of such a great crowd was pretty cool. We're grateful for the chance to lace 'em up and go compete against another great team in RMU on Monday for the CCAC Tournament championship."

The Trojans now prepare for their first CCAC Tournament Championship appearance since their 2007 title. Tipoff from Robert Morris' Athletic & Recreation Center in Arlington Heights, Ill. is set for 7:00 p.m.