CHICAGO, IL—The Trojans benefitted from a variety of strong performances on Saturday afternoon, but they came up just short against the Lakers of Roosevelt University, suffering their first conference defeat of the season in the road clash.
The Trojans got off to a solid start as sharpshooters
Jack Kahoun and
Jaden Thomas drilled three-pointers to ignite the Trinity attack in the opening minutes. The matchup was a tight one throughout the majority of the period, with the lead changing hands several times as both sides eased their way into a rhythm offensively. Looking for a spark late in the half, Trojan head coach
Greg Miller turned to his freshman guard
Stratton Lovvorn, and the Tennessee native announced his presence in his third collegiate game, detonating for the first eight points of his collegiate career. The talented rookie drained a pair of triples and a midrange jumper while pickpocketing the opposition twice to shift the momentum towards the Trojan camp. Heading into halftime, the Trojans held a slim 35-34 edge.
The second half brought more fireworks from both sides as the Trojans put on an impressive offensive showcase, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor throughout the frame.
Diamond Presniakovas featured prominently for Trinity out of the break, picking up a trio of quick layups to help the Trojans nurture their razor-thin advantage. In the middle stages, it was deadeye sniper
Colby Cross' time to shine, as the veteran guard potted a couple of treys to twice give the Trojans the lead after the Lakers caught up. The consistent output of
Kyonte Thomas, who scored eight points in the half, and two threes by versatile guard
Xavier Cooper helped Trinity keep pace, with one of Cooper's long-range strikes staking the Trojans to a 62-60 advantage, but that margin would be the last time the visitors held the edge, as the Laker offense came alive down the stretch to come away with a 79-72 victory.
Despite the unfortunate result, it was a solid performance for the Trojans, as they managed to put forth an impressive effort in a thrilling contest that saw the lead change hands 17 times against a Roosevelt squad that is now 3-1 in CCAC play. The Trojans relied on a remarkably diverse offensive attack on Saturday, with seven players cashing in more than one field goal. Among the many Trojans stars were Thomas (team-high 13 points, 11 assists), Presniakovas (11 points in just 18 minutes), and Lovvorn (8 points in 10 minutes).
The Trojans (3-3) will seek to bounce back as their CCAC schedule rolls on with a clash against Cardinal Stritch University at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 22, at Van Dixhorn Arena.
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TIU Men's Basketball
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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.
