ANGOLA, IND. -- Senior Langston Johnson (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) scored a career-high 38 points, but it would not be enough as the Trine University men's basketball team fell to Loras (Iowa) College, 72-70, in a non-conference game as part of the St. Andrews Products Classic at the MTI Center in Angola, Ind.
Langston Johnson went 15-of-26 (57.7 percent) from the floor and was six-of-13 (46.2 percent) from three-point range. It marked the second time this season that he has scored 30 or more points (scored 31 against Mount Union). He also grabbed a team-tying high six rebounds against the Duhawks.
Senior Maurice Hunter (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) also scored in double figures with 12 points.
Both teams played a competitive game throughout as the score was tied six times and had 14 lead changes. Trine (4-4) led by six points with a little over eight minutes to go in the first half when Loras (8-2) went on a 16-2 scoring run to go up by eight points, 41-33, at the 2:41 mark. The Thunder responded with a 7-0 run of their own that ended in a dunk by sophomore Nick Bowman (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) that made it a one-point game in favor of Loras, 41-40, with 1:47 left in the half.
Loras got a little breathing room heading into the intermission by extending its lead to four points, 46-42, when the clock hit zeros.
The second half began with the Duhawks increasing the deficit to seven points in the first 2:34, but Trine rallied again when a layup by Hunter started a streak of eight unanswered points that resulted in a one-point lead for the Thunder, 52-51, with 14:11 to play. Later in the period, Trine led by as many as six points, 63-57, following a layup by sophomore Aiden Warzecha (Milford, Mich./Milford) at the 6:34 mark.
This time, Loras mounted a rally and battled back to even the game at 70-70 with just under two minutes remaining. The Duhawks outscored the Thunder, 15-7, to end the game and moved ahead on the scoreboard on a jumper with 1:06 on the clock. Neither team scored any points in the final minute of play as Loras hung on for the two-point victory.
Trine will travel to Berea, Ohio for a game against Baldwin Wallace University on Wednesday, Dec. 18 as part of a basketball doubleheader with the Thunder women's team. Both teams will take on the Yellow Jackets with the women's game slated to start at 5 p.m., followed by the men at approximately 7 p.m.