JOLIET, Ill. --- The TIU men's basketball team kicked off the 2021 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament on Tuesday night as they battled the eighth-seeded Fighting Saints of St. Francis at the Sullivan Center. Having lost to the Saints just two weeks earlier, the Trojans looked to pick up the first win needed in a run to the conference tournament crown.

Both offensive units started out strong, with TIU hitting 54% of their shots from the floor in the first half. But it was Trinity's three-point shooting game that became the story of the opening frame with nine made three's, including four a piece from both Brandon McQueen and Jack Kahoun. Brandon Lawani also led the Trojans with eight boards in the first half, as USF struggled to keep up with TIU's long range shooting. Ultimately, the Saints would pull within seven points as Trinity led 49-42 at the halftime break.

TIU's strong offensive output continued in the second half, as Jonathan Johansson drained another three baskets for the blue and white from beyond the arc, part of six shots that found the net from distance. While both team's maintained steady ball control in a balanced game, the Trojans overall shooting overpowered the Saints. Trinity's 55.6% total shooting from the field tied their season-high for total points scored as the Trojans held off a late push by the Saints to take their CCAC Tournament opener by a score of 97-90.

McQueen ended the game with a historic 40 point performance, with Lawani recording a 12 points, 13 rebound double-double. Kahoun notched 14 points off his four made three pointers, with Johansson scoring 11.

ADDITIONAL GAME NOTES

• Tuesday night's win was the sixth victory for the Trojans over the Saints all-time. St. Francis still leads the series 11-6.

• TIU's game at USF was the first postseason game for the program since appearing in the 2018 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. The Trojans lost to #5 Morningside (Iowa) in the opening rounds that season.

• The Trojan's win against the Saints marked the first postseason win for the program since the 2017 CCAC Tournament semifinals, when the Trojans defeated Calumet St. Joseph at home.

• Trinity made a season-high 15 made three-point field goals in the win.

• Brandon McQueen's 40 points not only marked a new career-high for the senior guard, but set new high water marks for made field goals (14), field goal attempts (22) and made three-point field goals (6).

• McQueen's 40 points tied TIU's single-game records for most points in a road game and in a win. O'Shae Williams holds both records aftering scoring 40 in a road win at IU-South Bend on Nov. 18, 2017.

• Brandon Lawani's 12 point, 13 rebound double-double was his seventh of the season, ranking third most among CCAC players.

• Jack Kahoun tied his career-high with five made field goals in the win.

UP NEXT

The Trojans (10-7) now advance to the quarterfinal round of the CCAC Tournament, where they will face off against this season's regular season conference champion and top-seed Olivet Nazarene on the road in Bourbonnais. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm at ONU's McHie Arena and can be watched LIVE on the ONU Tiger 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.