NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the first official tilt of the Nathan Moran era for Trevecca Nazarene University men's basketball, the Trojans reached back into their history and revived a tradition, naming any conference crossover classics they host in memory of Robert Garrett, Jr. The Trojans are hosting the 2025 Robert Garrett Memorial Classic (RGC Preview/History) at the Trojan Fieldhouse, and though the Trojans (0-1) battled hard, the task was tall against the Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish, and PBAU (1-0) took the win, 97-88
HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams started the afternoon with a focus on the defensive end of the floor. Only two baskets were made in the opening three minutes, but exactly three minutes into play, the Trojans got on the board with a 3-pointer from Spencer White, and PBAU led 4-3. The Sailfish cashed in a pair of three-point shots over the next three minutes, and the Trojans were held without a field goal, as PBAU opened their lead to 10-5, but as the game moved into the middle stages of the half, Trevecca managed a quick 5-point burst, and that gave Trevecca the lead at 12-11 with 12:04 to play. A 7-2 run from the Sailfish helped PBAU stretch their lead to 18-14, but Trevecca rallied and the game took on a back-and forth tone. Six lead changes over the next four minutes left PBAU up by three with 6:04 to play and over the final six minutes of the half, the Sailfish slowly built their lead to a halftime advantage of 48-38.
A dunk and a 3-pointer on successive possessions to open the half for PBAU helped them push their lead to 53-38 just 45 seconds into the half, and the Trojans played catch-up for the rest of the day. The Sailfish lead stretched to as many as 17 points on several occasions in the half, but Trevecca mounted a charge to close the gap. The Trojans scored 11 straight points over a span of three minutes to get within five at 70-65, but PBAU answered with six straight to push the lead back to 11 with 8:02 remaining. The Trojans battled, and they got the margin down to seven three different times, but the Trojans were never able to pull closer, and Palm Beach Atlantic held on for the win 97-88.
The Robert Garrett Classic this weekend revives a tradition started during the 2004-05 season. That year, just before the start of the fall semester, the Trojans lost guard Robert Garrett in a car crash, and the tournament was played several times between 2004-05 and 2022-23 when the Trojans hosted a pre-conference classic or conference crossover. Combined in the many iterations of the event, Trevecca is 12-2.
THE TEAM
Trevecca shot the ball at a 42.4% clip (28-for-66), and they were slightly better from long range where the Trojans made 14 of 31 (45.2%) attempts. At the foul line, the Trojans were 18-for-23 (78.3%), but the Trojans struggled on the glass. Palm Beach Atlantic had a 50-28 rebounding advantage, and that helped the Sailfish to a 22-2 advantage on second chances. Trevecca did well, though, on points off turnovers (30-13) and off the bench (47-12), and the Trojans also scored 17 fast break points.
THE PLAYERS
Five Trojans scored in double-figures, led by Tyler Moore and Latham Binkley with 17 tallies apiece. Spencer White and Brett Wright each added 15, and Fred Bailey scored 11. Bailey also added a team-best eight boards and seven assists, and Binkley picked a couple of blocked shots.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will continue the Robert Garrett Classic on Sunday afternoon. The Trojans have welcomed the Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles, and the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers to the Trojan Fieldhouse to take part in the classic. On Sunday, the Sailfish and Maroon Tigers will battle at 2 p.m., while Trojans will take on the Eagles at 4 p.m.
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