BOURBONNAIS, Ill. --- The TIU women's basketball team tipped off Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play on Wednesday night as they visited the Olivet Nazarene Tigers. Coming off a 53-48 home win over Goshen last Saturday, the Trojans looked to begin league play on a positive note.

The Trojans attacked the paint early and were able to draw themselves to the free throw line twice after fouling on a pair of made baskets. Despite an early 8-3 lead, the high-powered Tiger offense came to life on a 15-0 run with several TIU turnovers over a five minute period. Trinity struggled to hold onto the ball as ONU employed a heavy full court defense, forcing the Trojans into a number of ten second violations and bad passes. The Tigers shot 52.3% from the floor in the first half with easy layups, along with eight made three-point baskets to take a commanding 58-34 halftime lead.

Despite the large deficit, TIU continued to battle as they found offensive success on fast break possessions and Tiger turnovers to begin the second half. A 15-3 Trinity run quickly erased a 24-point deficit, giving the Trojans life as they began to find their shot, and slowed the Tigers down on the defensive end of the floor. Key defensive plays by Alina Jahnke helped lead to offense on the opposite side of the floor with Brittany Gafare posting her best game in her TIU career, with Taylor Hibicke and Carly Scheblo assisting from mid-range. Ultimately, the ONU offense, led by Kennedy Johnson's 27 points, the Tigers were able to hold off the TIU comeback and hand Trinity their third loss of the season, 97-85.

Gafare led the game with 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. Jahnke notched 18 points, shooting 8-12 from the floor, while Taylor Hibicke posted 17 points, six boards and four steals. Carly Scheblo recorded ten points, including a pair of baskets from beyond the arc, while Daniela Lopez posted a game-high ten rebounds.

ADDITIONAL GAME NOTES

• The Trojans fall to 1-15 all-time against the Tigers. Trinity's only win over ONU came on Jan. 6, 2009 by a score of 107-95.

• TIU has now dropped seven of their last 11 conference opening games.

• With the loss, head coach Irvin Jerry falls to 3-5 all-time in conference openers. He posted a 1-3 record in such games coaching at San Diego Christian from 2013-17, and 2-2 while at Trinity.

• Brittany Gafare's 27 points are a career-high.

• Taylor Hibicke and Daniela Lopez both set season-high, Hibicke in scoring (10), and Lopez in rebounds (10).

• Despite tough shooting in the first half, Trinity ended the game shooting 57.1% from the floor.

• Trinity outscored the Tigers 29-19 in the third quarter, the most points scored in a single quarter this season.

• The Trojans committed a season-high 30 turnovers in the loss, including 19 in the first half. 

• Olivet Nazarene outscored TIU 42-13 off of turnovers.

UP NEXT

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