BANNOCKBURN, IL—After dropping a pair of games on the road, the Trojans made a triumphant return to Van Dixhorn Arena on Tuesday night, besting the visiting Wolves of Cardinal Stritch University by a 93-73 score on the merits of a furious run to conclude the first half and a remarkable performance from combustible scorer
Diamond Presniakovas.
The Trojans got off to a slow start, conceding a solid string of scoring to their conference rivals while struggling to find their own offensive rhythm, leading to a 12-point deficit midway through the period. It was at that point that the Trojans caught fire, rapidly erasing the deficit in a matter of four minutes, tying the score on a strong and-one finish by Presniakovas before a three-pointer by
Kyonte Thomas put the home side ahead for good. The Trojans were firing on all cylinders in the final minutes of the opening stanza, pouring in bucket after bucket to establish an 18-point lead at the intermission. Thomas (12 points on 3-for-3 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, four steals), Presniakovas (11 points), and versatile guard
Xavier Cooper (seven points on 3-for-3 shooting, five rebounds, four assists), were among the major contributors toward the Trojans' 49-31 halftime edge.
With the Trojans already ahead by a comfortable margin, the Diamond really started to shine in the opening minutes of the second half. In a five-minute span, Presniakovas turned superhuman, drilling three triples and muscling home another and-one finish while scoring 14 points as the Trinity advantage ballooned to a high watermark of 34 points. With the result no longer in question, the Trojan coach
Greg Miller was able to deploy a variety of different lineups as time wound down, allowing his roster to showcase its depth. Fourteen different Trojans stepped onto the court in the second half, with nine of them making a contribution to the scoring column. The game took on a physical nature in the waning moments, and Trojan veteran
Monte Lambert provided one final highlight down the stretch. Moments after being dragged out of the air in dangerous fashion on a trip to the basket, the New York native came back down the floor with a head of steam and emphatically crammed home a forceful one-handed jam while soaring over his adversaries. All told, the Trojans polished off the victory in comfortable fashion, winning 93-73.
Overall, the performance was an encouraging one, as the squad bounced back from its first prolonged bout with adversity with the decisive victory. Presniakovas led the way with his unreal performance, scoring 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting in just 21 minutes while getting it done at all levels, accomplishing the rare feat of scoring three and-one layups and draining three triples in the same game.
Kyonte Thomas also posted an impressive statline (13 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals), as did
Xavier Cooper (seven points, five rebounds, five assists).
The Trojans will look to carry the momentum when they travel to Kingsport, Tennessee, for a pair of nonconference contests on Friday and Saturday as a part of the NAIA "The Show" tournament.
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TIU Trojans
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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.
