NASHVILLE – The Trevecca Nazarene University men's basketball team (8-3, 3-0 Great Midwest) beat visiting Milligan College (6-7, 6-4 ACC), 92-86, in a non-conference affair at Trojan Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

Trevecca plays Sunday at 4 PM at Jacksonville State on ESPN+ (WATCH).
 
The eight wins already matches the most wins in a season for a Trevecca team since the 2015-2016 team won 16. It matches the eight wins by the 2016-2017 team. The Trojans are the only remaining team undefeated in Great Midwest play. Six teams have one loss.  
 
BREAKING IT DOWN   
Trevecca led 4-3 when Milligan went on a 12-0 run to take a 15-4 lead with 16:16 left in the half. Jay Hickman hit a three for the Buffs with 11:55 left in the half to put the visitors up 25-17. Trevecca started a 11-3 run with a three-pointer from Jalen Page that eventually tied the game at 28-28 with 8:40 to go in the half. The run ended on a layup from Jake Mulder, pushing his first half total to eight points. The torrid first half scoring by both teams continued with neither team able to stretch a lead past three the remainder of the half and the teams went to intermission tied 50-50.
 
The Buffs started the second half with a 5-1 run, building a 55-51 lead. The Trojans turned the game in their favor with a second 12-0 run that put the Trojans up 63-55 with 13:50 to go. The run continued to a 20-7 run that put the hosts up 71-62 with 8:44 to go. Seven different Trojans scored in the full run that was fueled by five steals. The Trojans couldn't shake the Buffs and they pulled to within three, 78-75, with 4:49 left on the clock. But Jake Mulder hit a three and Jamal Cannady hit a driving layup in a 27 second span to put the Trojans up by eight again, 83-75, with 4:07 left. A few moments later, 2:22, Mulder hit a turnaround basket in the lane to complete an extended 12-3 run that put the Trojans up 12 (90-78). TNU held off a last minute run by MU for a 92-86 win.
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KEY PLAYERS    
Four Trojans scored in double figures with Peter Lambesis topping the list with 22 points and adding 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the year. It is his eighth double digit scoring night and a season high in both points and rebounds. It is his fourth double digit rebounding night. Jake Mulder scored 17 and added seven rebounds, going 8-10 from the field. Jamal Cannady added 19 with three assists, three steals, and two rebounds. Jalen Page scored 12 with eight rebounds and a team-high four assists.
 
TEAM TIME    
As a team, the Trojans hit 52.1% (38-73) from the field and dominated the boards with a 38-29 edge. The Trojans had 13 more shots from the field added by 12 steals and 15 Buff turnovers. The Buffs kept pace hitting 11 three-pointers in 21 tries and 15 of 17 free throw tries. It is the second most made three pointers by the Buffs all season. It is the second lowest rebound total for MU all season.

TNU MEN | SEASON NOTES
The eight wins are already more than any Purple and White squad has earned On the Hill in a season since 2015-2016. The 8-3 overall start is the best in the NCAA Division II era. The last team with a better start was the 2009-2010 team started 8-1.
 
The 3-0 Great Midwest start is the best for the Trojans in their history in the G-MAC. The Trojans and Kentucky Wesleyan are the only two remaining teams undefeated in league play this year. The surprise start comes after the Trojans were picked 11th of team in the Great Midwest Preseason Coaches' Poll (men's preseason poll press release).
 
As a team, the Trojans are leading the Great Midwest in scoring and are third in rebounding. They have the third highest field goal, free throw, and three-point percentage in the league.
 
Jalen Page is second in the league in scoring and Jamal Cannady is tenth.
 
The Trojans have three players in the top six in the league in rebounding. Tommy Gankhuyag and Peter Lambesis are third and fourth respectively and Jalen Page is sixth.
 
TNU MEN | BREAKING RECORDS
The Trevecca men set two school records and nearly another in the first meeting with Northwood University, December 2, 2023, in Midland, Michigan.
 
In that 103-71 TNU win, the Trojans set a new all-time (NAIA/NCAA D2) record for made three-pointers in a game with 19. They also set an NCAA-era record for three-point percentage in a game, going 19-of-28 for a 67.9% three-point percentage. The team just missed an NCAA Era record with 24 assists. The record is 25.
 
TNU MEN | D2SIDA MIDWEST REGION RANKING
D2SIDA started a NCAA Division II basketball region ranking during the 2019-2020 season. In the fourth week of this season, Trevecca made the top 10 in the Midwest Region poll for the first time. It first happened in the fourth week of this season, with the team coming in at No. 10. The team moved up to No. 6 in the fifth poll and, despite being on break for Finals, the team dropped to No. 8 in the sixth week.
 
TNU MEN | SCORING TURNAROUND
Trevecca finished last season with the lowest scoring average in NCAA Division II; this year, they are hanging between the top 18 and the top 30. As of this writing, the team improved their scoring average from 55.7 points per game last year to 86.6 points per game this year.
 
TNU MEN | TURNING THE PAGE – WEEKLY HONORS
Jalen Page has two games with 31 points and has been recognized as the Great Midwest Player of the Week twice and the Tennessee Sports Writer's Association Player of the Week once.
 
Page won the Great Midwest award in back-to-back weeks. During those two weeks he scored 31 points in back-to-back games. Over the four games in those two weeks, Page averaged 26 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 55% (31-56) from the field, 55% (15-27) from three, and 93% (27-29) from the foul line. 
 
TNU MEN | BREAK THROUGH WINS
The Trojans beat two teams in the league for the first time. They defeated Findlay, 96-90, to open G-MAC play. It is Trevecca's first win over Findlay, the Oilers had won the first 15 meetings. 
 
Trevecca beat recent G-MAC newcomer Northwood for the first time, 103-71, to go to improve to 2-0 in the G-MAC. It was Trevecca's first win over the Timberwolves who won the first two meetings in their first Great Midwest season last year. 
 
For their third league win, TNU beat Malone, 69-65 on the road, breaking a four-game Pioneer winning streak in the series. Malone won 10 of the first 12 meetings. 
 
TNU MEN | HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Trevecca has broken the century mark twice this season; the last time a Trevecca eclipsed the century mark before this season was a 117-94 win over Ohio Valley University more than five years ago on December 7, 2013, the second year in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. 
 
TNU MEN | GOING OVERTIME
The three-overtime game against CBU is the first time the Trojans had gone past regulation since 2018 when they played back-to-back overtime games against Ohio Dominican (2/01/18) and Cedarville (2/03/18). Both were losses by the Trojans. The Trojans immediately went to overtime again, beating Shorter 84-80 in overtime three nights later, on November 21 in Rome, Ga.
 
UP NEXT    
The men travel to Jacksonville, Ala. for their last exhibition game, a tilt with NCAA Division I Jacksonville State University (7-7) at the Gamecocks Pete Matthews Coliseum. The Gamecocks own a 2-0 edge in the all-time series. The first meeting was in the 1984-85 (12/1/84 - 98-82) season, the last in 1994-95 (12/6/94 – 101-64). The Gamecocks are coached by Ray Harper. Trojan fans may be familiar with Harper who previously coached Kentucky Wesleyan College, Oklahoma City University, and Western Kentucky University.

The game tips at 4:00 PM on Sunday, December 31 and will be broadcast on ESPN+ or you can Listen Live | Live Stats

Both the men and women open the 2024 portion of their Great Midwest slate on Jan. 4 versus nationally-ranked Ashland. It is the last season for the Trojan athletic teams in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Trevecca is moving to the Gulf South Conference next season.

Women – 5:30 PM - Watch | Live Stats - Home | Tickets Home
Men – 7:30 PM - Watch | Live Stats – Home | Tickets Home
 
The Eagle men (9-2, 3-1 Great Midwest) have been ranked as high as No. 8 this season, but are currently just outside the top 25, receiving votes. The Eagles have a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series. This the third all-time meeting in Nashville.

Men – 7:30 PM - Watch | Live Stats – Home | Tickets Home
 
The Eagle women (10-1, 3-0 Great Midwest) are ranked No. 2 nationally and have a 35-game road winning streak on the line. They had their 45 game overall winning streak broken in a 66-62 loss to No. 10 Ferris State on Dec. 16. The Eagles have won all five previous meetings in the series, including three meetings last season. Trevecca has hosted Ashland just once in women's play at the Fieldhouse.

Women – 5:30 PM - Watch | Live Stats - Home | Tickets Home
 
The last games at the Fieldhouse before the Trevecca students and employees return from break features a men's and women's double header with Malone University.
 
Likely the last time the Pioneers travel to Nashville before the Trojans head to the Gulf South Conference (Gulf South press release) next season. The Malone men are 8-4 overall, but 1-3 in the Great Midwest. TNU beat the 69-65 on Dec. 9 in Ohio. But they bounced back to beat Hillsdale College in their last conference tilt. The Pioneer women are 6-5 overall and 2-1 in the league.

Women – 1:00 PM - Watch | Live Stats - Home | Tickets Home
Men – 3:00 PM - Watch | Live Stats – Home | Tickets Home
  
MORE ABOUT THE TREVECCA TROJANS    
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