Box Score DEERFIELD, Ill. - A pair of free throws from Jeremy Carlyle with 14 seconds left helped seal the victory for the Trojans on Thursday, as TIU secured a 87-86 win over St. Francis inside a packed house at the Van Dixhorn Arena.

Four Trojans finished in double figures on the evening, with Tyrone Carey leading TIU in scoring as the Junior finished with 16 points and 7 boards. J. Carlyle chipped in 15 points while his brother Greg Carlyle and Nate Schmidt added 10 points of their own to round out the top offensive performers for TIU.

The opening half saw both sides battle it out but it was the Trojans who would go into the lead with a 37-35 lead at the break. TIU led by as much as 9 and trailed by as much as 6 in the opening frame, but late free throws from G. Carlyle gave the Trojans the two point lead at half.

A 5-0 run to open the second half set the tone for the Trojans early, but the Saints would not go down without a fight throughout the remainder of the half. Though the Trojans continued knocking down shots, USF kept pace with TIU, taking as much as four point lead with 7:28 remaining in the half.

With 1:06 remaining and the Trojans leading by three, J. Carlyle would sink a pair of free throws to extend the Trojan lead to 82-77. The Trojans defense stood tall on the following USF possession as Thadeous Johnson came up with a huge block that set up a Tyrone Carey corner pocket three to make it a 85-77 game with 40 seconds left.

USF continued to battle back as the Saints grabbed seven points in a span of 25 seconds to make it a one point game. Both teams would trade free throws in the final 15 seconds, but it was the Trojans who would hold on to grab the 87-86 victory and move to 15-8 (8-5 CCAC) on the season.

"Obviously we'd like to finish the last minute with more efficiency, but I really believe we are getting better with each game," said Head Coach Boomer Roberts. "We competed for longer stretches tonight and we got some great production from our bench. Sam, Jeremy, Greg, and Tye all took turns making big plays offensively, while D.J. and Ost gave us great minutes as well."

"Credit St. Francis for continuing to fight, and it once again shows that we're getting everyone's best shot each night," added Roberts. "Our crowd was awesome and we will need all of them back here on Saturday night for another huge game."

The Trojans are back in action this Saturday on Upward Night as they take on Calumet St. Joseph inside the Van Dixhorn Arena.