ASHLAND, Ohio – The Trevecca Nazarene University men's basketball team (12-4, 7-1 Great Midwest) lost for the first time since December 5, 2023 on the road at preseason favorite Ashland University (12-4, 6-3 Great Midwest), 71-70, on Thursday evening at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
Ashland, won the first four meetings in the series with Trevecca prior to the Trojans 82-71 win over the Eagles on January 4, 2024 at Trojan Fieldhouse.
The Trojans had their seven-game winning streak interrupted and lost for the first time in league play. The Trojans had stood alone as the lone undefeated team in league play for several games, but now fall into a first-place tie with Cedarville University, a team the Trojans face at the Trojan Fieldhouse on Feb. 8.
BREAKING IT DOWN
Trevecca opened the game with a 10-0 run with four different Trojans scoring. Trevecca extended their lead to 18-6 with 12:33 to go with Jalen Page and Lawrence Brazil each knocking down two three-pointers. With 9:53 to go in the half, the Eagles went on a 16-8 run to tie the game at 29-29 with 4:34 left in the half. TNU outscored AU 8-6 to the half and led 37-35 at half.
Ashland opened the second twenty minutes with a 17-4 run that put them up 52-41 with 14:09 left. Maceo Williams scored nine in the run while the Eagles went 7-9 from the field in the stretch. With 7:09 left in the game, Ashland led 62-52. Trevecca closed the gap to two (64-62) with 4:18 left on a 10-2 run fueled by six Pete Lambesis points. The Eagle led was five (69-64) with 2:22 left. The Trojans had one more push and the Eagles helped them, but despite a 6-2 run to get within one (71-70) with 1:06 to go, the Trojans couldn't finish the comeback. The Eagles tried to help with a turnover and four missed three throws in the final minute. But the Trojans had a missed front end of a free throw, a turnover and a missed on their last field goal.
KEY PLAYERS
Jalen Page led Trevecca with 18 points and added nine rebounds, two assists, three steals, and had a block. Page went over the 500-career point mark and now has 512 career points (including time at Lee). Lawrence Brazil scored 16 with four rebounds and five assists. Brazil was 4-8 from three. Pete Lambesis scored 12 with nine rebounds and two assists.
TEAM TIME
The Trojans shot 43.1% (25-58) from the field, 31% (9-29) from three, and 73.3% (11-15) from the line.
Each team had 36 rebounds, but it was the points in the paint advantage, 44-30, that put the Eagles over the top. Trevecca turned the ball over 14 times to Ashland's 11 and the Eagles turned that into a 15-11 edge in points off turnovers.
UP NEXT
Trevecca heads to Tiffin University (10-5, 4-3 G-MAC) for the first two meetings with the Dragons on Saturday, January 20 at 2:00 PM. The Dragons own a 6-4 advantage in the series and have won the last four. TU visits Trojan Fieldhouse on February 17 at 3:00 PM.
The next home game is on January 27, when Lake Erie College (5-11, 3-5 G-MAC) visits Trojan Fieldhouse at 3:00 PM. It is the only meeting of the regular season for the Storm and the Trojans. Trevecca is 1-8 versus Lake Erie all-time; the Storm have won the last seven meetings. The Purple and White last won in the series on January 25, 2020, a 54-69 win at the Trojan Fieldhouse.
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