CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Trevecca Nazarene University Men's Basketball team (9-4, 4-3 GSC) climbed to a positive conference record for the first time this season, defeating Lee University (4-7, 0-7 GSC) 82-78 in a thrilling road matchup.
THE SERIES
The Flames maintain a historical series lead against the Trojans, 29-18, in men's basketball.
BREAKING IT DOWN
The Trojans came out strong and set the tone early, maintaining their composure and efficiency from the free-throw line to stay ahead in a tightly contested first half. For the Trojans, free throws was a big one to start the game; Trevecca was nearly perfect from the charity stripe, converting 12-of-14 free throws in the first 20 minutes.
As the Trojans led by two with 5:21 left in the half, they went on a game-changing run. Over the final five minutes of the half, Trevecca outscored Lee 16-4, fueled by a 7-0 burst, to take a commanding 42-28 lead into the break.
The second half saw both teams trading baskets early, with Lee making efforts to close the gap, but Trevecca's duo of Jalen Page and Jikari Johnson continued to assert their dominance, pushing the lead to as many as 17 points at 65-48 with 8:12 remaining.
Lee's Zach Gray attempted to spark a comeback, scoring all 14 of his points in the final eight minutes, but the Trojans held their ground.
Gray's late steal gave Lee a chance to cut the deficit further, but NaVuan Peterson delivered a clutch block, maintaining Trevecca's seven-point advantage at 76-69.
Despite a pair of late three-pointers from Lee, the Trojans sealed the victory at the free-throw line, finishing the night an impressive 19-of-22 from the stripe, to hold on for the 82-78 win.
KEY PLAYERS
Jalen Page led the Trojans with 24 points, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the field and going 6-of-6 at the free-throw line.
Jikari Johnson followed closely with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting.
NaVuan Peterson made his presence felt with 14 points, nine rebounds, and three steals.
Mateo Esmeraldo kept his strong assisting season afloat as he dished out 7 today to stay as the best facilitator in the GSC.
THE TEAM
Trevecca forced 17 Lee turnovers, converting them into 25 points, while maintaining their composure offensively, committing just 12 turnovers themselves. The Trojans also dominated in fast-break opportunities, scoring 16 points in transition compared to Lee's nine.
UP NEXT
The Trojans return home for a two-game homestand, hosting Delta State (6-8, 2-6 GSC) on Thursday at 7:30 PM during Neon Night, followed by a Saturday matchup against Mississippi College (6-8, 2-6 GSC) at 4:00 PM.
MORE ABOUT THE TREVECCA TROJANS
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