SAN ANTONIO – No. 18 Trinity University Men's Basketball overcame a 17-point deficit late in the first half to defeat Hardin-Simmons University, 70-67, Sunday afternoon at Calgaard Gym.
 
The Tigers (5-2) outscored the Cowboys (2-3), 49-29, over the latter 25 minutes of play as they drew back to just a 10-point margin in the late stages of the first half.
 
In a repeat of Friday afternoon's effort, senior AJ Clark (San Antonio, Texas / Johnson) led Trinity with 17 points and 11 rebounds for back-to-back double-doubles in the home-opening weekend.
 
Seniors Kaleb Jenkins (New Orleans, La. / Metairie Park) and Ben Hanley (Flower Mound, Texas / Flower Mound) joined the San Antonio-native in double-digits on the offensive end with 16 and 14 points, respectively, marking a season-high for Jenkins—who shot over 58 percent from the field—and the fifth consecutive game in double-figures for Hanley.
 
Clark and Jenkins were pivotal in the overpowering second-half rally as Clark collected 11 points and six rebounds after the intermission while Jenkins posted both of his steals and a block, leading a defensive resurgence that dragged Hardin-Simmons to just a 28.1 shooting percentage from the field and seven turnovers in the final 20 minutes.
 
No. 18 Trinity Men's Basketball heads back out on the road next weekend to open Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play next weekend, visiting Centenary College (LA) and University of St. Thomas next weekend.
 
The Rundown
 
By the under-12 media break, Trinity had already seen its first double-digit deficit, 23-12, as the Cowboys strung together a 10-0 run in three-plus minutes in the heart of the first half. Roughly a minute later, the Tigers had worked back into a two-possession margin on a Braxton Barry (Houston, Texas / Westbury Christian) dunk but it was not enough to turn the first-half tide away from Hardin-Simmons.
 
Another long run of 15-4 for the Cowboys put Trinity behind by its largest margin of the afternoon, 38-21, with five-and-a-half to play in the first. At that time, Clark held a narrow advantage for the Tigers offensively with six points to five apiece from Jenkins and Hanley.
 
Trinity briefly found its way back into a single-digit deficit over the next four minutes with a 13-4 response capped by the first of two steals from first-year Zach Fenn (Covington, La. / Saint Paul's) which led to his first bucket on the other end, 42-34 in favor of the Cowboys. Classmate Kevin Garcia (Laredo, Texas / Wagner) opened the run with a three-pointer from the right wing and later collected a pair from the free throw line to lead the Tigers with five points during that time.
 
Jenkins and Clark came back to the court in act two on a mission, combining for all of Trinity's first eight points out of the break to pull back into a two-possession deficit again at 46-42 before the first media timeout. Soon after, Hanley became the third in double-figures at 10 points, behind Jenkins's 14 and Clark's 11 around the 15-minute mark.
 
Hanley put Trinity back to a one-possession ballgame with 13 minutes left, 51-48, from the charity stripe. For all but 30 seconds in the final minute of the contest, the game stayed within a possession for either team.
 
Clark put the Tigers back out front for the first time since the opening minutes as he logged his 12^th and 13^th points from the line at 56-55 with over minutes to play. Trinity frequented the free throw line in the late stages, accounting for nine of its final 16 points.
 
With the victory in the balance for the previous seven minutes, a confident three-pointer from junior Abdullah Roberts (Houston, Texas / HCYA) put the Tigers up five, 67-62, in the final minute as Trinity rode away with its fifth victory of the 2022-23 campaign and preserved its undefeated start at home.
 
Up Next
 
No. 18 Trinity Men's Basketball heads east for Centenary (Dec. 2) and St. Thomas (Dec. 4) next weekend for the first SCAC matchups of the season.
 
The Tigers return to the Bell Center December 21 to open the 2022 Leslie Robinson Christmas Classic, facing Geneva College (PA) and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in back-to-back days. Home SCAC contests with Schreiner University (Dec. 29) and Colorado College (Jan. 2) surround New Year's festivities for Trinity's four-straight at home during the holidays.