PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trinity Men's Basketball opened the '23-'24 season over the weekend, picking up a pair of victories over Moody Bible (Ill.) and East-West (Ill.) in the 2023 Troll Classic.

The Trolls (2-0) started the new year with a 77-49 win over the Archers (0-2) on Friday night. Johnny Dieck led the way with 13 points in his Trinity debut. Dieck finished with six rebounds, four steals, and three assists in the win, shooting 6-of-10 on the night. Quinton Hunter finished in double figures as well, scoring 11 points, while Colton Schutt dealt seven assists while posting seven points and eight rebounds.

In the second game of the Classic, Trinity held off the Phantoms (0-2) for a 67-66 win on Saturday afternoon. Brady Loerop scored 12 points to lead the Trolls, while Jadon Williams came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting.

The Phantoms would hold a three-point lead with 3:15 left to play, but a layup from Bryce Simpson on the Trolls' next possession, followed by a pair of free throws from Schutt gave the home team a 62-61 advantage with 1:48 on the clock. East-West would move back in front with a layup, but Trinity would go 5-for-6 from the free throw line in their final three possessions, and the defense would keep East-West from making a late run.

The Trolls look to continue the momentum on Wednesday, November 8, when they travel to face Grace Christian (Mich.), following an exhibition matchup at Valparaiso (Ind.) on Monday night, at 7pm.