BANNOCKBURN, Ill. --- The TIU men's basketball team returned home to Van Dixhorn Arena on Friday night as they took on the Red Lions of Lincoln Christian University in their home opener as part of the Trojan Basketball Classic. Coming off a pair of wins last weekend at the Grace Tip-Off Classic, TIU looked to improve on their 2-0 record as they played in front of their home crowd for the first time this season.

The Trojans and Red Lions would battle back and forth throughout the first half, with Lincoln Christian leading much of the way. Trinity would pull ahead 33-32 on a Brandon McQueen three-point basket and would hold the LCU offense scoreless for the remaining two and a half minutes of the first half, allowing TIU to go up 37-32 at the halftime break. 

Trinity built their lead to as many as 15 points midway through the second half on a night where they sank nine baskets from beyond the arc. With McQueen and Sterling Brown attacking from range and from inside the paint along with Diamond Presniakovas, the Trojans shot 51.5% from the floor on the night. 

The Red Lions would chip away at TIU's lead with a strong offensive game from Nehemiah Baker. After Dominic Williams tied the game with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, Jassen Flotow fouled Presniakovas, sending the junior from Plainfield, Illinois to the free throw line, where he sank one of his two attempts with three seconds to go, giving Trinity the narrow 89-88 win to improve to 3-0.

Brown led the Trojans with a season-high 25 points, as well as eight rebounds in the victory, while McQueen notched 22 points and seven rebounds for his third straight game of 20+ this season. Presniakovas and Jaden Thomas each recorded 11 points for the blue and white, as Kyonte Thomas recorded two steals. 

ADDITIONAL GAME NOTES

• With their win on Friday, the Trojans improve their all-time record against Lincoln Christian to 5-0. TIU is also 2-0 under head coach Greg Miller against the Red Lions.

• Friday's game marked the first time since Feb. 11, 2017 that Trinity has won a game by one point. The victory came in a home game against Cardinal Stritch that the Trojans won by a score of 84-83.

• With the win, TIU improves to 3-0 for the first time in over 19 years.

• Trinity made six of their total nine three-point field goals in the second half. The Trojans ended the game shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc. 

• Free throws were a key factor in TIU's one point win. The Trojans shot 10-14 from the free throw line (71.4%), while Lincoln Christian struggled from the charity stripe, shooting 7-17 (41.2%).

• Sterling Brown picked up his 1,200th career points on Friday night as part of his 25-point game. The Carmel, Indiana native scored 876 points previous playing at Marian University (IN), and 270 last season at Trinity Christian, with 54 points so far in his TIU career.

• Brandon McQueen earned his 1,100th career point against LCU. The Cleveland, Ohio native scored 472 points during his first collegiate season at Cincinnati Christian (2018-19), and has scored 643 since coming to TIU.

• Head coach Greg Miller earned his 50th career win as a college head coach with his team's victory on Friday. It was also Miller's 50th game coached at TIU since taking over the program prior to the 2019-20 season.

UP NEXT

The Trojans (3-0) return to action on Saturday afternoon as they face off against the Wildcats of Culver-Stockton College to close out the Trojan Basketball Classic. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00pm CT at Van Dixhorn Arena, and can be watched LIVE on the Trojan 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.