DAVENPORT, Iowa --- The Trinity International University men's basketball team took on the Fighting Bees of St. Ambrose University on Saturday afternoon in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action. Coming off an impressive win over the Roosevelt Lakers earlier in the week where they sank 12 three-point baskets, TIU looked to put together their first string of consecutive wins.
Things did not start out well for the Trojans, who were held scoreless for the first six minutes of the game, while the Bees jumped out to a 13-0 lead before Trevor Ross scored the first points for TIU. Slowly the Trojans were able to chip away at SAU's lead and find some momentum before halftime. With Ross pressuring from the inside, and Brandom McQueen from mid-range, TIU was able to force nine turnovers as they headed into the locker room trailing by eight, 40-32.
The Trojan offense began to find more success from the floor. McQueen, who played all 20 minutes of the second half, shot 5-11 from the field, and hit two crucial three-point baskets to lead TIU with 13 points in the second frame. While the Trojans were able to avoid foul trouble for most of the game, SAU found themselves at the free throw line 16 times in the second half, allowing for easier shots from the charity stripe. Six baskets from downtown and four players in double-digit scoring figures for the Bees would help SAU pull past TIU by a final score of 82-73, just as the Trojans began to make a final push in the final minutes.
McQueen ended the day with a game-high 19 points and five rebounds in the loss. Ross, Ron Pehka, Thadeous Johnson, and Micah James would also notch double-digit points, as Johnson and Jeremy Bonifacio both notched six rebounds each.
TIU returns to action on Tuesday, November 26 as the host the Robert Morris University Eagles at Van Dixhorn Arena in CCAC competition. Tip-off is set for 7:30PM.
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.
