PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trinity men's basketball heads into the Christmas break on a high note, as the Trolls bounced back from an earlier loss at the hands of Grace Christian to defeat the Tigers 84-70 inside DeVos Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

Team Leaders

• Danny Staskunas posted a season-high 26 points as five Trolls finished in double figures.

• Johnny Dieck posted 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, with five rebounds.

• Jadon Williams scored 12 points with four boards and three blocked shots.

• Brady Loerop and Deylon Johnson each posted ten points.

How it Happened

• A slow start from the Trolls (4-8) allowed Grace Christian to build a 13-point lead by the 13:53 mark of the first half.

• A pair of buckers from Johnson and Williams, plus back-to-back threes from Staskunas closed the gap to 22-17 with eight minutes left in the first half.

• Another Staskunas three cut the Tigers (4-9) lead to 36-32 at the halftime break; the freshman led all scorers with 11 first-half points.

• Dieck tied the game early in the second with a layup, 38-38, but the Trolls couldn't take the lead until a score by Staskunas put the home team in front 46-44 with 13:11 to play. The bucket was part of a 14-0 run for the Trolls, who led 54-44 with 11:19 left after a Malachi Peasley three-pointer.

• Grace Christian briefly pulled back to within four points with 3:47 remaining, but Trinity would out-score their opponents 16-6 down the stretch to secure the win.

Next Up

• The Trolls will resume play after the new year, when they host Judson inside DeVos Gymnasium on Saturday, January 6. Tipoff with the Eagles is set for 3:00 p.m.