SAN ANTONIO – The No. 24 Trinity men's basketball team (8-3) fell in day two of the Leslie Robinson Classic to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (9-1), 66-74. After shooting the lights out last night, the Tigers struggled from three and couldn't get over turnover troubles to get their second win of the weekend.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well, as Trinity shot 39% from the field and 20% from deep, while the Pointers shot 40% from the field and 23% from deep. The small gap in shooting percentage was exacerbated, however, by the turnover gap that allowed UW-Stevens Point to put up 8 more shots than the Tigers. Trinity gave the ball up 16 times, including 10 times in the first half, and only forced 8 total turnovers. Their only statistical win came on the glass, as they grabbed 40 rebounds to the Pointers' 32, although the two teams tied on offensive rebounds with 12 each.
Dean Balo (Dallas, Texas / JJ Pearce) led the Tigers in scoring for the second game in a row, recording 16 points and 4 rebounds (3 of them on the offensive glass) on 42% (5-12) shooting.
Trent Medearis (Buda, Texas / Hays) posted career-highs in points, with 14, and rebounds, with 6, on 71% (5-7) shooting.
Jackson Lawson (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) recorded 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Will Bronson (Dallas, Texas / Jesuit) had 8 points, 7 rebounds (3 of them offensive), and 3 blocks.
The Rundown
It was a back-and-forth game to start the first half, as neither team led by more than four in the first five minutes of the game. Both teams struggled shooting the ball, as evidenced by a 45-second possession during the second minute of the game in which the Pointers missed four shots from deep, corralling multiple offensive rebounds but unable to get anything to drop. Trinity's last lead of the game came with 15:12 left to play, when a Bronson layup gave them an 11-10 lead. UW-Stevens Point responded with 12 straight points, emboldened by a Tigers team that had 5 turnovers and could not find the bottom of the net during the seven-minute stretch that constituted the Pointers' run. With 9:21 to play, they had opened up a double-digit lead, up 22-11. While struggling from the field, Trinity was not to be put away, as a strong two-handed flush from Bronson sent them on an 8-0 run of their own and brought them back within three, down 23-26 with 2:24 to go. The Pointers, however, countered with another run, scoring 9 straight to put the lead back into double-digits, 35-23 with 29 seconds to go. A last-second Balo three ended the Trinity scoring drought, but they still trailed 35-26 heading into halftime.
Trinity was able to keep the deficit stable for the first few minutes of the second half, but they were unable to make any dent in the lead. Midway through the period, however, as they found themselves behind 32-42 with 15:12 to play, the Tigers found some momentum, going on a 13-4 streak that was highlighted by 3 Medearis buckets and 2 blocks from Bronson to make the score 46-45 with 10:00 remaining. The two sides traded buckets over the next eight minutes, but Trinity was never able to regain their first-half lead. After bringing the deficit to within one point, it never again dipped below three. While at times the game started to slip away, the Tigers still controlled their own destiny with 1:41 to play, down 62-65. Over the remainder of the game, however, they would make only one field goal, and the Pointers slipped away for the last time. Able to capitalize on the Tigers' inability to cash in from deep as the final minutes ticked down, UW-Stevens Point escaped San Antonio with their second win of the weekend, taking down Trinity by a score of 74-66.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers will be back on the court in the new year, beginning SAA conference play with a matchup against the familiar Southwestern University (6-5) at home on Jan. 3.
