SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - In their opening game of the 2018 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Championship, the TIU Men's Basketball team came up short in their quest for back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, suffering an 87-69 loss loss to Morningside College on Thursday afternoon.

Four Trojans finished in double figures on the night, with Greg Carlyle leading the way tallying 18 points, while teammates Tyrone Carey, O'Shae Williams and Nate Schmidt all finished with 10+ points in the loss.

"Morningside is a very good team, and they did a great job as the aggressor, especially in the second half," said Head Coach Boomer Roberts. "We faced a lot of adversity this year, so to get back to the NAIA National Tournament for the second time in a row is special for us. We're disappointed to lose, but we saw God do some incredible things within in our program which is better than any championship."

The Trojans got off to a great start in the early going, leading by as much as 7 during the first 10 minutes of the opening half. A quick 9 points from Carey, and a Donald Watkins Jr. jumper put TIU ahead 25-18, but from that moment on it was all Morningside. The Mustangs closed out the first half strong and would lead 45-36 going into the halftime break.

The second half saw the Mustangs pick up where the left off, grabbing a few early buckets, taking a double digit lead the Trojans would not be able to close. 

"Sam, Ost, and Ethan Brown poured a lot into their teammates and this family over their careers, and we are grateful for their daily examples," added Roberts. "We have some lofty goals to pursue next season with so many guys returning, but we know we have to put in the work this offseason to take the next step."