Trinity Men Clinch West Division Top Seed With Win at Austin

Sherman, Texas - The Tiger men's basketball team secured the West Division's top seed for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a 74-59 win at Austin College on Saturday evening.

Trinity finished the regular season on an eight-game winning streak, earning an overall record of 17-8, as well as a 12-4 mark in conference play.

The first half saw Trinity in the lead most of the way, though Austin stayed close throughout.  After breaking a 10-10 tie midway through the period, the Tigers never again relinquished the lead.  Both teams shot better than 47% in the opening period, and the Tigers led 33-26.

After Trinity pushed the lead to 10 points early in the second, Austin made its move with a 9-0 run that cut the lead to just one (40-39) with 13:54 remaining.  The Tigers then hit three three-pointers and a three-point play (layup, free throw) on their next four possessions, sparking a streak of 18 unanswered points over a three-minute span.  Austin never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

Robert Kitzinger led three Tiger players in double figures with 19 points in the game.  Jonathan Wilt scored 15 points, while Zach Lambert chipped in with 11.  Lambert and Wilt both tied for the team lead with five rebounds. 

Ryan Beall handed out seven assists without committing a turnover, while Matt Feldman and Matt Selling combined for 17 points off the bench.

Ransom Okpala led Austin with 13 points, while Josh Saunders and Antoine Thompson had 11 points each.  Walter Phillips added 10 points, and Saunders led all players with eight rebounds.

Trinity will face the #4 seed from the SCAC East Division in the first round of next weekend's SCAC Tournament, hosted by Birmingham-Southern College (Birmingham, AL).  The Tigers play at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 24.