NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Trevecca Nazarene Men's Basketball team (19-10, 14-8 GSC) saw its season come to a close with an 87-78 loss to Delta State (17-12, 12-10 GSC) in the Gulf South Conference quarterfinals.
Despite the result, the Trojans capped off a historic season, achieving multiple milestones in their second year under head coach
Kevin Carroll.
THE SERIES
Trevecca swept the regular-season series against Delta State, but the Statesmen got the win when it mattered most, cutting the Trojans' historical series lead to 2-1.
BREAKING IT DOWN
The game opened with high energy as Trevecca struck first on a quick
Jikari Johnson basket, but Delta State responded and would hold the lead for 88.6% of the rest of the game.
The first 10 minutes were back and forth, featuring four lead changes and three ties before Delta State took control. With 10:35 left in the first half, Delta State mounted a 20-3 run, giving them a commanding 40-23 advantage.
Delta State was lethal from beyond the arc, hitting eight first-half threes compared to Trevecca's four, and took a 45-31 lead into halftime.
Turnovers were a major factor in the first half. Trevecca struggled with ball security, committing nine turnovers to Delta State's three. The Statesmen also racked up seven steals, while the Trojans managed just one.
Coming out of halftime, Trevecca put together a strong response, opening the second half on a 15-6 run to trim the deficit to 51-46 with 14:28 left.
The Trojans kept the pressure on, closing the gap to 58-55 at the 10:24 mark, the closest they had been since the early minutes of the first half.
Despite their push, Delta State had an answer for every Trevecca surge. The Statesmen never allowed the Trojans to get closer than three points and maintained at least a two-possession lead for the remainder of the game.
Trevecca's final push came with just over three minutes left when Hank Hutchenson came up with a steal and threw down a dunk to make it a five-point game. Delta State, however, managed the clock well, breaking through Trevecca's full-court pressure and closing the game on a 9-5 run to seal the victory.
THE PLAYERS
Jikari Johnson led all scorers with 27 points on 10-19 shooting, including five three-pointers. He also added six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
Jalen Page finished with 19 points, six rebounds, and two assists, hitting three shots from beyond the arc.
Spencer White added nine points and two assists, while
Mateo Esmeraldo contributed eight points and a team-high 11 assists.
NaVuan Peterson chipped in eight points and six rebounds.
THE TEAM
Trevecca shot 49.2% from the field (30-61) and 43.3% from three (13-30). The Trojans struggled at the free-throw line, making just 5-8 (62.5%), while Delta State hit 11-12 (91.7%) from the stripe.
Delta State outscored Trevecca in points off turnovers (27-2) and second-chance points (7-3), two key areas that made the difference in the game. The Trojans did have the edge in fast-break points (23-10) but were outscored in the paint (38-34).
UP NEXT
Trevecca now shifts its focus to next season after making significant strides in year two under Coach Carroll. The Trojans established themselves as a contender in the Gulf South, posting a winning record for the second straight season after winning just two games in 2022-23.
