SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - Tiger Men's Hoops sails past Berry College 87-66.
 
The Tigers (11-3, 3-0 SAA) finished their weekend with another convincing win. Ben Estis (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) led all scorers with a career-high 21 points on 6-9 shooting. Estis also hit three deep balls and converted on all six of his free throws. Ben also set another career-high with five assists. 
 
Dean Balo (Dallas, Texas / JJ Pearce) was also solid from the floor, putting in 15 points on 6-9 shooting and 3-5 from beyond the arc. Will Bronson (Dallas, Texas / Jesuit) tacked on another double-double to his stellar season with 12 points and 10 boards while also adding five rejections. Jackson Lawson (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) was the last Tiger with double-digit scoring with 12 points.  As a team, the Tigers shot 50 percent from the field (33-66) and had 14 steals. 
 
How It Happened
 
Trinity wasted no time setting the tone, striking just 13 seconds in when Zach Fenn (Covington, Louisiana / Saint Paul's) finished at the rim. Seconds later, at 19:26, Dean Balo jumped a passing lane and knocked down a transition three, and by the 18:05 mark, Jackson Lawson buried a three off a Fenn assist to keep Trinity in front during the opening minutes. Will Bronson quickly asserted himself inside, scoring in the paint at 17:29 and again at 16:01, helping the Tigers control the early flow.
Around the 15-minute mark, Trinity began to stretch the margin with physical play and ball movement. Bronson converted inside again at 15:40 as the Tigers steadily built separation. A few minutes later, at 13:39, Bronson calmly knocked down two free throws, and Joshua Chesney (Corpus Christi, Texas / London) followed with a pair at 13:04, keeping Trinity firmly in command.

Midway through the half, Trinity's transition game took over. Gabe Parr (Austin, Texas / Westwood) scored at the rim at 12:17 off a Carter Ruck (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) assist, and moments later Ruck pushed the tempo himself, converting a fast-break jumper at 11:25. Over the next few possessions, the Tigers continued to stack stops, with Elias DeMent (Dallas, Texas / Lake Highlands) finishing a fast-break layup at 9:29 and Parr adding another layup at 8:48.

Late in the half, Trinity delivered a decisive push. Estis splashed a three at 4:48, Balo answered with a triple at 3:50, and the Tigers closed the final two minutes with Lawson finishing at the rim at 1:47 and Trent Medearis (Buda, Texas / Hays) knocking down a jumper with 54 seconds left, sending Trinity into the locker room with momentum and a 49–38 advantage.

The visitors opened the second half with a quick three, but Trinity answered immediately. At 19:32, Estis sprinted out for a fast-break layup off a Fenn assist, and a few minutes later, Balo finished another transition layup at 17:48 to keep the Tigers comfortably in front.

The turning point came just after the 14-minute mark. With Trinity nursing a 55–51 lead, the Tigers erupted for an 11–0 run over the next three minutes. It began at 13:45 when Estis drilled a three off a Gabe Parr assist. At 13:02, Balo buried another triple, and seconds later, Estis capitalized in transition by knocking down two fast-break free throws at 12:19. The surge was capped at 11:49 when Chesney connected from deep on an Estis assist, pushing Trinity's lead to 66–51 and swinging the game decisively.

Later on, Trinity continued to answer every push. Estis knocked down another three at 9:55, and Zach Austin (Clarkston, Michigan / Clarkston) finished a layup at 9:28 to keep the Tigers in control. As the clock dipped under five minutes, Trinity delivered the knockout sequence. At 4:39, Lawson buried a transition three after an Estis steal, then at 2:18, Fenn jumped another passing lane, converted a fast-break layup, and added the free throw to extend the lead even further.

The Tigers closed the afternoon in style when Julian Dupertuis (San Antonio, Texas / International School of the Americas) came up with a steal and finished on the break at 58 seconds, sealing a complete performance as Trinity pulled away for an 87–66 conference victory.

Looking Ahead

The Tigers will hit the road to take on Rhodes and Millsaps on January 16th and 18th.