BANNOCKBURN, Ill. --- The Trinity International University men's basketball team played host to the Indiana Northwest Redhawks at Van Dixhorn Arena on Wednesday night in their home and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) opener.

The Trojan offense kept pace with the IU-Northwest attack, with Ron Pehka and Nate Schmidt providing several key strikes from beyond the arc. Led by the inside game of Thadeous Johnson and Micah James, TIU surged to a six point halftime lead thanks to their efficiency in grabbing rebounds on defense, and not allowing second chance scoring opportunities.

To start the second half, the Redhawks bolted out of the gates with a 17-3 run in the first six minutes of the half. Despite battling inside the paint throughout the game, the Trojans struggled in finding baskets to fall in their favor. While the TIU hit 12 shots from beyond the arc and saw their bench outscore IU-Northwest 33-24, it was no match for the speed of the Redhawks in the second half as IU-Northwest defeated the Trojans, 100-86.

James led TIU with 18 points and four rebounds on the night. Brandon McQueen notched 15 points and eight boards, while both Pehka and Schmidt recorded 14 points each in the loss.

The Trojans return to action on Saturday, November 16 as they visit the Governors State Jaguars in University Park in CCAC action. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00PM.

Trinity International University is a comprehensive, national university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and located in Bannockburn, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. TIU educates men and women to engage in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness and lifelong learning.