NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Trevecca Nazarene University Men's Basketball team (16-8, 11-7 GSC) fell 69-67 to Lee University (10-12, 6-12 GSC) in a game that came down to the final possession. The Trojans honored the 2004-05 and 2005-06 basketball teams during halftime.
THE SERIES
With the loss, Trevecca now trails Lee 30-18 in the all-time series.
BREAKING IT DOWN
This one lived up to the hype. In a rivalry renewed, Lee came out hot, opening the game on an 8-0 run.
With the Trojans struggling offensively, head Coach Carroll called a timeout and regrouped the Trojans. The adjustment worked as Trevecca responded with a 12-0 run to take a 12-8 lead with 13 minutes left in the first half, forcing a Lee timeout.
Just as Trevecca had adjusted, so did the Flames, who stormed back with an 18-6 run over the next seven minutes to grab a 26-15 lead.
With five minutes left in the half, the Trojans turned up the defensive pressure and clawed back into the game with an 18-8 stretch of their own, reclaiming the lead with 1:50 to go.
Trevecca held on to take a slim 36-34 advantage into halftime.
The second half was a back-and-forth battle, featuring 14 lead changes and 11 ties, with no team ever leading by more than four points.
The final five minutes turned into a defensive showdown, with both teams combining for just 11 total points and just 3 made field goals in the closing stretch.
With 2:24 remaining and Trevecca trailing by four,
Spencer White stepped up to sink two clutch free throws, cutting the deficit to two.
Both teams struggled to score over the next two minutes until, with 18 seconds left,
Mateo Esmeraldo was fouled and sent to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game.
Esmeraldo sank both free throws, making it 67-67. However, Lee inbounded quickly and found Tim Vaughn, who threw down a dunk in transition with 11 seconds left, putting the Flames back up by two.
Trevecca, out of timeouts, moved the ball up the court quickly and found Esmeraldo again, who created separation for a mid-range jumper. The shot looked good but rimmed out with less than a second remaining, sealing the Flames' 69-67 victory.
THE PLAYERS
Jikari Johnson led the Trojans with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five steals while going 8-11 from the free-throw line.
Jalen Page, back from injury, matched Johnson with 22 points, including three made threes.
Mateo Esmeraldo followed the stat sheet with 11 points and three assists, while
Spencer White controlled the boards, finishing with 11 rebounds.
THE TEAM
Trevecca shot 35.8 percent from the field, including 27.6 percent from three. Despite the shooting struggles, the Trojans were excellent from the line, going 21-25 for 84%. Trevecca scored 16 fast break points but was outscored 32-18 in the paint. The game featured 14 lead changes and was tied 11 times.
UP NEXT
Trevecca heads on to the road for a two-game stretch, facing Mississippi College (8-17, 4-15 GSC) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. before taking on Delta State (14-11, 10-9 GSC) on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
