CHICAGO, Ill. --- The TIU women's basketball team looked to extend their season-best five game win streak as they visited the 19th-ranked Cougars of Saint Xavier University on Wednesday night in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play. After defeating Roosevelt on Saturday afternoon, the Trojans looked to pull off the upset and push their record over .500 for the first time since the start of the season.

Both teams struggled to shoot the ball through much of the first quarter, until the Cougars found momentum in the waning moments of the period. TIU would turn the ball over six times in the second quarter, allowing SXU to take control playing through leading scorer Sidney Lovitsch. The Cougars pressing defense ability to move the ball quickly helped them turn a three-point lead at the end of the first period into a 44-27 halftime lead.

Trinity's offensive efficiency continued to struggle in the second half as Saint Xavier gained a healthy advantage in scoring off of turnovers. The Trojans were held to just 24% shooting from the floor in the second half as the Cougars continued to roll thanks to their speed. TIU would be held scoreless in the fourth quarter until the 3:48 mark as SXU rolled to the 74-50 win over the Trojans.

Amber Reynolds led TIU with 11 points, including three three-point baskets. Taylor Hibicke notched nine points in the loss, while Alina Jahnke recorded seven points and 11 rebounds, Daniela Lopez led the team with five assists, and Brittany Gafare notched a game-high 13 rebounds.

ADDITIONAL GAME NOTES

• TIU falls to 0-23 all-time against the Cougars with tonight's loss.

• This is Saint Xavier's second win over Trinity this season. SXU defeated TIU 98-63 in Deerfield on Jan. 13 in non-conference play.

• The loss snaps TIU's season-high five game winning streak.

• For the first time this season, Alina Jahnke was held to zero blocks on defense. It is also the first game since Jan. 22, 2020 at Cardinal Stritch where she was held to no blocked shots.

• Trinity is 0-2 against ranked teams this season with tonight's loss. SXU was ranked 20th in their previous meeting on Jan. 13.

• Having committed 21 turnovers on the night, SXU outscored the Trojans 20-10 off of takeaways.

• Amber Reynolds' 11 points are tied for the fewest points scored by TIU's leading scorer in a game this season. Daniela Lopez and Louisa Schmidt both scored 11 on Jan. 13 against Saint Xavier, while Alina Jahnke also scored 11 points against IU-Northwest on Dec. 7.

• Alina Jahnke's 11 points at SXU moved her into eighth place on the TIU women's basketball all-time scoring list with 848 points, surpassing JaToya Woods (2012-16).

• Jahnke's 13 rebounds in the loss put her seventh all-time on the program's career rebounding list (476), passing Rachel Edeken (2004-08).

UP NEXT

The Trojans (8-9) return to action on Saturday afternoon, February 13 as they host the 20th ranked St. Francis Fighting Saints on senior day. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00pm CT at Van Dixhorn Arena and can be watched LIVE on the Trojan Sports Network.

Visit TIUtrojans.com to stay up to date with the latest TIU women's basketball news and schedule updates.

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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.