No. 23 Tiger Men's Hoops gears up to host the Leslie Robinson Holiday Classic this weekend.
The Tigers (5-1) are coming off a resilient win against Hardin-Simmons, overcoming a 23-point deficit to secure a 78-71 victory. Trinity exploded for 52 points in the second half, completing an impressive comeback.
Christian Green (San Antonio, Texas / Veterans Memorial) led all scorers with 20 points on 8-18 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds, earning his third double-double of the season.
Jacob Millhouse (Plano, Texas / Independence) contributed a season-high 13 points, marking his first double-digit scoring game of the year.
Jacob Harvey (Huffman, Texas / Hargrave) added 12 points, including three three-pointers, and is currently ranked 28th nationally in three-pointers per game (3.17).
Zach Fenn (Covington, Louisiana / Saint Paul's) showcased his defensive prowess with six steals, just one shy of his career high. Fenn is now ranked 20th in the country for steals per game, also averaging 3.17.
D3hoops.com National Rankings - Tigers at 23
In the latest D3hoops.com national poll, the Tigers are ranked 23rd, maintaining their spot in the top 25 throughout the season. Emory University is in the top spot, with WashU in second. Trinity (Conn.) is ranked third, Trine dropped to fourth, and UW-Platteville rounds out the top five. Future opponent Wisconsin-Lutheranis 17th in the rankings. SCAC rival St. Thomas, along with regional opponents UMHB and Hardin-Simmons, are also receiving votes.
Preview - Leslie Robinson Holiday Classic
The Tigers will play in their first home games of the season as they host the Leslie Robinson Holiday Classic starting with Illinois College on Friday, December 20th at 4:00 PM. Then, on Saturday, Trinity will play Wisconsin Lutheran at 4:00 PM.
On the Illinois College Blueboys: Illinois College enters the game with a 6-3 overall record (1-2 MWC). After starting the season with an impressive 5-0 run, the Blueboys have struggled recently, losing three of their last four games. Their most notable victory came against Nebraska Wesleyan, a team that advanced to the Elite Eight last season. Their losses have been to Milwaukee School of Engineering, Cornell College, and Lawrence University. The Blueboys are led by Josh Harris and Buzz Ritzel, both averaging over 15 points per game. Known for their versatility, they excel both in the paint and from beyond the arc, and they rarely leave the floor. This marks the first-ever matchup between Illinois College and Trinity.
On the No. 17 Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors: The Warriors boast an impressive 7-1 record (3-1 NACC) this season. After starting with seven consecutive wins, they suffered their first loss 63-62 to 3-6 Illinois Tech on a last-second buzzer-beater. Wisconsin-Lutheran is a high-scoring team, ranking 52nd nationally in scoring offense (69.2 points per game), 38th in three-point percentage (36.2%), and 21st in scoring margin (12.2). The Warriors have three players averaging over 17 points per game, led by graduate student Grayson Goetz. Graduate guard Jacob Hefle has been lethal from beyond the arc, shooting an incredible 61.3% from three-point range, making him one of the top three-point shooters in the nation. As a team, the Warriors are shooting 37% from three and 46% from the field. This will also be the first-ever meeting between Wisconsin-Lutheran and Trinity.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers will play in their first conference game of the season against Schreiner on New Years Eve at 4:00 PM.
