LA CROSSE, Wisc. – The Trine University men's basketball team, who is receiving votes in the most recent D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, upended the #3 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles 67-64 in a huge bounce back effort on Saturday afternoon. The Thunder split their first true road trip of the season and leave the state of Wisconsin with a 1-1 record. The victory puts Trine at 7-1 overall on the season and hands UWLC their first loss at 9-1.
The Thunder held the Eagles to just 4-of-24 from downtown (16.7%) and 20-of-56 overall (35.7%). On the flip side, Trine shot a season-high 52.2% from the field (24-of-46), but the free throw differential in favor of the home team helped to keep La Crosse in it.
"What a bounce back effort," head coach Brooks Miller said. "Our leading scorers were Brent (Cox) and Connor (Jones), but there were so many little contributions by everyone on the floor – it was a collective effort and I'm really proud to get the win!"
Seniors Brent Cox and Connor Jones combined for 45 of the team's 67 points. The duo split the total fairly evenly with 23 points for Cox and 22 for Jones (career-high).
La Crosse threw the first punch with a 7-0 run to start the game and Coach Miller called for time at the 16:46 mark. The break was effective as Jones buried a jump shot coming on the next possession to spark a 12-3 scoring run for the visitors. An and-one by Emmanuel Megnanglo gave the Thunder their first lead of the game at 12-10 eight minutes into the game.
Sophomore Aidan Smylie, junior Jackson Jannsen and senior Nate Carbaugh carried the team through the middle stages of the first as the teams went back-and-forth in trading the lead. A made jump shot by Cox at the seven-minute mark tied the game at 20 and fueled a 14-2 scoring spree.
Nine straight possessions resulted in points as Trine took a 38-26 advantage with under three minutes to play in the first. Cox had 11 points late in the first, while Jones, Smylie and sophomore Grant Pahl also had scores as the team went up double digits.
A three-point field goal by the Eagles would be the only basket over the course of the final few minutes of the first half at 38-29. A 60.0% (15-of-25) shooting effort and 14 points by Cox allowed the team to get ahead.
Cox continued his stellar day with a pair of three-point makes early in the second period to go up 13, their largest lead of the afternoon. A made basket by Smylie six minutes in would be the only score for the Thunder in a 14-2 run for the home team. Trine would go scoreless from that point until another jumper by Smylie with 7:57 to play.
A three-point field goal by UWLC at 6:39 would give them the lead for the first time since the first half, but Jones responded with a layup on the following possession to tie the game at 53 all. A make from beyond the arc and in close made it seven in a row for the senior, but each time the Eagles responded with baskets of their own to remain even.
Pahl found Cox open for three to go up 61-58 with under four minutes to go in what would end up being the final lead change. Jones made all six of his free throws down the stretch to help finish the game. The defense stood tall on the final possessions of the game and fouled once they were up by three points with five seconds on the clock to prevent La Crosse from getting an opportunity to tie the game.
Along with the scoring effort from Cox and Jones, Megnanglo and Smylie had eight points each. Smylie led Trine in rebounding by securing eight boards.
The Thunder return home next weekend for the St. Andrew's Products Classic at the MTI Center. First up is a game with Mount St. Joseph on Saturday, December 17 beginning at 2 p.m.
