BOURBONNAIS, Ill. --- The TIU men's basketball team travelled south on Wednesday night as they took on the reigning Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) champion Olivet Nazarene Tigers in their CCAC opener. Trinity entered the game coming off a 97-74 win at Lincoln Christian on Monday night and their first 2-0 start in five seasons.

The ONU offense came out fast paced out of the gate, jumping ahead to an early lead. While the Tigers defended the paint well, the Trojans exploited the low paint to establish an inside game in the opening minutes to pull even. However, Olivet dominated from beyond the arc with five three-point baskets and shot 63% from the floor in the opening frame. ONU also rejected a number of shot attempts by the Trojans with four blocks. At the break, the Tigers took a 49-37 lead.

Despite trailing by double-digits, the Trojans chipped away at the ONU lead off Tiger turnovers and trips to the free throw line, where Trinity sank 18-of-20 shots. The Trojans also protected the ball well with only seven turnovers and were able to dominate scoring off their opponent's giveaways. However, TIU struggled to rebound, particularly on defense as the Tigers continued to shoot well above 50% from the field, being able to hold off a second half rally and hand Trinity a 93-83 loss.

Brandon Lawani recorded his best game as a Trojan with a double-double, capped by a game-high 34 points and 11 rebounds. Deandre Raggs notched 16 points, six boards, five assists and four steals in the loss. Brandon McQueen scored 13 points, while Leon Williams scored eight.
 

ADDITIONAL GAME NOTES

• TIU falls to 4-13 all-time against the Tigers. Olivet has now won the last four meetings.

• The Trojans have lost their last three conference opening games. Their last win in their CCAC opener came during the 2017-18 season against Calumet St. Joseph.

• Head coach Greg Miller drops to 0-4 in his career in conference opening games. This includes an 0-2 record while coaching at Cincinnati Christian from 2017-19.

• Brandon Lawani posted a career-high 32 points in the loss, surpassing his previous career-high of 28 points against St. Xavier in November of 2018. 

• Lawani's 32-point performance is the first time a Trojan scored 30 or more points in a game since Diamond Presniakovas posted 31 on Jan. 29, 2020 in a loss at Trinity Christian. Lawani's 32-points are also the most in a game since Greg Carlyle also scored 32 against St. Xavier on Feb. 3, 2018.

• Deandre Raggs posted a TIU career-high 16 points.

• Trinity committed a season-low seven turnovers, forcing 14 ONU takeaways.

• The Trojans outscored the Tigers 23-6 on points off turnovers.
   

UP NEXT

The Trojans (2-1) will return to action on Saturday, January 9 as they visit the Jaguars of Governors State in University Park. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00pm CT and can be watched LIVE on the Jaguar Sports Network.
 

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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.