HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Things were a little different the last time the Trevecca Nazarene University men's basketball team won a game on the road at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Trevecca and UAH were both members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Four current Trevecca Hall of Famers occupied the Trevecca bench - Tim Bell, Mac Heaberlin, Avery Patton, and head coach Frank Wilson. There was not yet a standardized 3-point distance in college basketball - each conference set their own distance.
All that changed on Thursday night.
Trevecca (6-2, 2-1 GSC) snapped an eight game skid in Huntsville, as the Trojans took a 70-61 win - their first at No. 21 UAH (6-3, 1-2 GSC) since December 14, 1984.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UAH opened the first half on a 7-2 run, but as the game developed, the story became the Trevecca defense. Trevecca applied pressure all night, and they forced 12 UAH turnovers in the first half, while the Trojans also held UAH to 31 points in the opening 20 minutes. The effort allowed Trevecca to claw their way back into the game with a 10-2 run that was capped off by a Da'Shon Fisher 3-pointer that gaveTrevecca the 18-17 lead with 6:51 to go in the half. UAH scored six straight to re-take the lead and push it to 23-18, but Trevecca remained close. Trevecca closed the half on a 6-2 spurt to cut the halftime deficit to 31-29.
Early in the second stanza, the Trojans put together an 11-3 run that included two triples from Brett Wright, and a third from Jax Abernathy to take the 40-36 lead. The lead changed hands several times in the middle stages of the frame, with neither team able to sustain much momentum, but late in the game, an 8-1 run gave Trevecca a 57-50 lead - one they did not relinquish. Trevecca held UAH without a field goal in the final 3:04 of the contest, and the Trojans sealed the game with a 7-1 run to claim the 70-61 win.
THE TEAM
Trevecca made 23 of 55 shots from the field in the game, and that effort was bolstered by a 13-for-25 second half. The Trojans were 7-for-20 from deep in the game, including 5-for-12 in the final 20 minutes, and they made 17 of 23 (73.9%) free throws. Trevecca forced 21 turnovers in the game, they out-rebounded UAH 39-30, and the Trojans out-scored the Chargers off the bench (40-25), on the fast break (12-4), off turnovers (16-13), and in the paint (32-22).
THE PLAYERS
Jax Abernathy was the individual star for the Trojans. The freshman from Calhoun, Georgia led all scorers with 27 points in the game, and he was 12-for-19 from the floor including 3-for-7 from long range. Fred Bailey also reached double figures for the Trojans, as he tallied 17 points bolstered by a 9-for-12 effort from the charity stripe. Bailey also led the way with 11 rebounds - which gave him his second double-double of the season - and four assists. Jeremy Jackson, Jr. finished the game with six steals, one shy of the TNU single game record.
UP NEXT
Trevecca will face another tough test on Saturday when they head to Livingston, Alabama to battle the Tigers of the University of West Alabama (7-1, 3-0 GSC) at 4 p.m.
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