HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Trevecca Nazarene University men's basketball team (15-6, 10-5 GSC) put up a fight but ultimately fell 98-86 to the nationally ranked No. 4 Alabama Huntsville (20-1, 15-0 GSC) on the road. Despite the loss, Coach Carroll reached a historic milestone, becoming the winningest coach in Trevecca history through his first 50 games.
COACH CARROLL @ TREVECCA
31-19 Overall
21-14 Conference
20-4 at the Fieldhouse
THE SERIES
With this loss, Trevecca falls to 4-10 all-time against Alabama Huntsville and extends its losing streak to six games against the Chargers, as UAH completes the regular-season sweep over the Trojans.
BREAKING IT DOWN
The game started as a highly anticipated battle between two of the Gulf South Conference's top teams, but both squads came out slow offensively, struggling to find their rhythm.
The first three minutes featured just three made field goals between the teams, setting the tone for what initially looked like a defensive battle.
However, as the game settled, both offenses started to find their groove. Trevecca was first to gain some momentum, taking an early lead, but Alabama Huntsville responded with a dominant offensive stretch.
With the game tied at 18 at the 12-minute mark, UAH erupted for a 36-16 run to close out the first half. The Chargers shot an efficient 19-34 from the field, knocking down six three-pointers to enter the break with a commanding 54-34 lead.
Trevecca showed fight in the second half, making several attempts to cut into the deficit. The Trojans found some offensive rhythm, putting up 52 points in the final 20 minutes, but every time they gained some ground, Alabama Huntsville had an answer.
Trevecca was never able to trim the deficit to single digits, as the Chargers managed the game well down the stretch, closing out the win at home with a 12-point margin.
THE PLAYERS
Mateo Esmeraldo led the way for Trevecca with 25 points on an efficient 11-15 shooting, adding five assists.
Jikari Johnson had a strong performance with 23 points, going 3-7 from beyond the arc.
Jalen Page contributed 15 points, while Caleb Terry was active in the paint with 10 points and seven rebounds.
THE TEAM
Trevecca shot 47.8% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 5-of-19 three-point attempts (26.3%). Free throw shooting was solid at 83.3% (15-18), but the Trojans were outscored in bench production, with UAH's reserves contributing 25 points compared to Trevecca's 10. The Trojans held their own in the paint, matching the Chargers with 52 points inside, finding a couple of second-chance opportunities, scoring 12 second-chance points compared to UAH's 8.
UP NEXT
Trevecca returns home for a two-game homestand, hosting the University of West Florida on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. before taking on Valdosta State on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
