NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Trevecca Nazarene University Men's Basketball Team (18-9, 13-8 GSC) fell 80-77 to Union University after nearly erasing a 14-point second-half deficit, ultimately coming up short, losing in the final seconds.
THE SERIES
With the loss, Union swept the season series and improves to 14-4 against Trevecca over the last 18 meetings.
BREAKING IT DOWN
Union opened the game with an 8-1 run as Trevecca struggled to find offensive rhythm early, missing its first three shots in the opening minutes.
Jalen Page finally got the Trojans on the board with a layup, sparking a stretch where both teams traded baskets.
Trevecca finally tied the game at 22 with 8:23 left in the first half and briefly grabbed its first lead at the 6:02 mark following a pair of free throws from
Gus Davenport.
Union, however, closed the half slightly stronger, outscoring Trevecca 13-12 in the final six minutes to take a 37-36 lead into the break.
The Bulldogs came out hot after halftime and overwhelmed the Trojans with a 30-17 stretch, building a 14-point lead. At that moment,
Mateo Esmeraldo took over, scoring all 17 of his points in the second half.
With 2:19 remaining, Esmeraldo made it a one-possession game. Union responded with back-to-back buckets to push the lead to 78-72 with just over a minute left, but Trevecca refused to go away.
Page knocked down a quick three-pointer, and after a defensive stop,
Spencer White's steal and layup cut the deficit to one with 27 seconds to play.
On the ensuing inbound, Trevecca was forced to foul, sending Union's Kaleim Taylor to the free-throw line. Taylor missed, giving Trevecca a chance with 12 seconds left.
Esmeraldo looked to find Page for a final shot, but Taylor stripped the ball and escaped for an open layup, sealing the win for Union.
THE PLAYERS
Jalen Page led all scorers with 23 points, hitting five three-pointers while adding seven rebounds.
Mateo Esmeraldo fueled the Trojans comeback hopes dropping all 17 of his points in the second half, along with five assists.
Jikari Johnson finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, while
NaVuan Peterson contributed 11 points and six boards.
THE TEAM
Trevecca shot 45.5 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent from three, and outscored Union 40-38 in the paint while dominating fast break points 24-8. Union's 50.7 percent shooting and 12 blocks proved to be the difference, as the Bulldogs found ways to disrupt Trevecca's offense throughout the game.
UP NEXT
Trevecca closes the regular season at home against Christian Brothers University (10-16, 6,14 GSC) on Saturday at 4:00 PM. However, the season continues with the Trojans hosting their first-ever conference playoff game in the DII era on Tuesday, March 4, at 7:00 PM.
Trevecca is still in play to finish third or fourth in the conference standings. If the Trojans finish third, they will host West Alabama in the GSC Quarterfinal game on Tuesday. If they finish fourth, they will host Delta State in the quarterfinal game at Trojan Fieldhouse.
Here's the scenario for the tournament seeding regarding whether Trevecca or Montevallo will be the number three seed.
To finish third and receive the number three seed in the 2025 Gulf South Conference Championships, the Trojans must beat Christian Brothers and Valdosta State to defeat Montevallo on Saturday. The VSU vs UM game is scheduled for 3:00 PM CT in Valdosta, Ga.
If Trevecca loses to Christian Brothers or Montevallo defeats VSU, Trevecca will be the number four seed in the GSC Championships.
