Kyonte lay-up
Berith Han
73
Hannibal-LaGrange HLG 8-17, 3-13
79
Winner Trinity International TIU 16-13, 10-10
Hannibal-LaGrange HLG
8-17, 3-13
73
Final
79
Trinity International TIU
16-13, 10-10
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Hannibal-LaGrange HLG 31 42 73
Trinity International TIU 46 33 79

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Ethan Oskroba

Trojans keep dancing, emerge victorious in emotional Van Dixhorn finale

BANNOCKBURN, IL — Taking the court at Van Dixhorn Arena for the final time in the Trinity men's basketball program's proud history, the Trojans kept their season—and the program—alive, relying upon a monster first half effort before fending off an inspired comeback attempt to knock out the rival Trojans of Hannibal-La Grange University and claim a 79-73 victory on Thursday night.

An amped-up Trinity squad set the tone right from the jump, bursting ahead to a 6-0 advantage, with leading scorer Diamond Presniakovas drilling a jumper before sniper Jack Kahoun splashed home a triple before adding a free throw. The Trinity Trojan offense was on point in the game's opening stages, maintaining the edge for the first eight minutes before the visitors got their first lead. Trinity responded with their strongest stretch of the contest, ballooning their advantage back to a high watermark of 15 at the close of the half. Kahoun continued to bask in the limelight, providing Trinity with 11 points including a pair of triples as freshman Brayden Betzner drained a three to close out the half with the home squad up, 46-31. The long-range strike concluded an offensive masterclass from Trinity, who shot 54 percent from the field and 62 percent from three in an uber-efficient performance that saw all 11 Trojans that appeared on the floor surface in the scoring column.

Trinity was unable to retain the momentum they claimed in the opening stages as the second half got underway, quickly seeing their once-17-point lead evaporate, with the visitors stunning TIU by claiming a 55-54 edge with 11 minutes to go. The squads traded buckets down the stretch, with Trinity taking advantage of a balanced effort that looked like a slot machine jackpot led by Kyonte Thomas (seven points, five assists), Xavier Cooper (seven points, six rebounds), and Presniakovas (seven points). Trinity finally broke through on the merits of a pivotal three by the ever versatile and clutch Cooper, whose exploits pushed the Trinity edge to 70-65. The hometown Trojans again had to fend off an inspired spurt from the never-say-die visitors but pulled five points clear for a second time after layups by Thomas and Presniakovas with under three minutes to go. In the final seconds, the tenacious Hannibal team trimmed the Trinity leading margin to two, but deadeye Colby Cross iced the game at the charity stripe with a pair of makes before Thomas added two more for good measure, sending Trinity onward with a 79-73 victory.

It was an emotional day for the Trojan faithful, but the evening ultimately concluded with a celebratory vibe. Several Trojans enjoyed impressive performances in the pivotal victory, with Kahoun (14 points, six rebounds), Cooper (13 points, nine rebounds), and Presniakovas (12 points) blazing the trail, while Thomas was the hub that made the spokes twirl, accumulating an 11-point, 11-assist double-double in 37 minutes.

The Trojans (16-13) find themselves in an interesting scenario, as they will earn an automatic bid to NCCAA Nationals should regional rival Bethel qualify for the NAIA postseason. Should Bethel fail to qualify, they are expected to opt in to the NCCAA, setting up a Trinity vs. Bethel clash at Bethel to decide the regional champion.
 
 

TIU Trojans

 

 

TIU Men's Basketball

 

 

 

 

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.
 
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