San Antonio, TEXAS – The 12th ranked Trinity University men's basketball team heads to Bloomington, Illinois, this weekend to compete in the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University.
The Tigers open the road trip carrying strong momentum following a perfect 2-0 opening weekend at the HSU Classic in Abilene, Texas. Trinity launched its 2026-27 campaign on Nov. 6 with a dramatic 86-84 victory over Chapman University. Senior guard
Dylan Walker (Highland Park, Texas / Highland Park) delivered the game winning three-pointer with seconds remaining, while junior forward
Jackson Lawson (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) paced the scoring with 14 points. Trinity shot 55.7% from the floor and dominated inside with a 46-26 advantage in paint points. The Tigers completed the sweep on Nov. 7 with a lopsided 96-71 win over California Lutheran University. Walker poured in a game-high 24 points in just 22 minutes on 7-of-10 shooting from three-point range. Junior forward
Will Bronson (Dallas, Texas / Jesuit) notched a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while senior guard
Dean Balo (Dallas, Texas / JJ Pearce) added 12 points as Trinity controlled the glass with a 52-25 rebounding margin.
D3hoops.com Top 25 - Tigers at No. 12
In the national rankings from D3hoops.com, Trinity enters the second week of the season firmly positioned at No. 12 in the country following its undefeated start.
Preview - Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational
Trinity begins tournament play on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 6:00 PM against Benedictine University (IL) at the Shirk Center in Bloomington. The Tigers will then face either host #6 Illinois Wesleyan University or Yeshiva University (NY) on Sunday at a time which is determined by Saturday's results.
On the Benedictine Eagles: Benedictine finished its 2025-26 campaign with a 10-16 (9-8 NACC) record, reaching the opening round of the NACC Tournament. The Eagles averaged 72.0 points per game while allowing 76.8 PPG to opponents, shooting 42.8% from the floor and 31.6% from three-point range.
Benedictine returns top interior scorer Noah Mason, who led the squad with 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game on 55.9% shooting last season. Guard Ryan Sammons provides perimeter scoring after averaging 11.1 PPG with 35 three-pointers, while forward Connor Glasgow added 10.1 PPG and 6.0 RPG. Saturday's contest marks a non-conference matchup between Trinity and Benedictine.
On the Sunday Matchup Possibilities (Illinois Wesleyan / Yeshiva): Host Illinois Wesleyan enters the weekend ranked No. 6 nationally after compiling a 26-5 (13-3 CCIW) record last season, winning the CCIW tournament and advancing to the DIII Elite Eight. The Titans maintained a +9.0 scoring margin (74.8 PPG to 65.8 PPG) and feature forward Noah Cleveland (18.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 59.6% FG), forward Mason Funk (15.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG), and perimeter sharpshooter Casen Lawrence (90 three-pointers made). Should Trinity draw Yeshiva University (NY), the Maccabees represent another high caliber non-conference test coming off a 2025-26 postseason appearance.
Looking Ahead
Following the tournament in Illinois, the Tigers return to San Antonio to host their 2026-27 home opener at Calgaard Gymnasium on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 1:00 PM against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, followed by a Sunday, Nov. 22 clash against University of St. Thomas (TX) at 3:00 PM.
