PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trinity came out strong in the first quarter, but a slow second half allowed the visitors to rally as the Trolls fell on Saturday afternoon to Hannibal-LaGrange, 65-56 inside DeVos Gymnasium.

The Trolls jumped out to a 17-4 lead by the end of the first quarter, their largest scoring difference in a single period this season. Six different Trolls scored in the opening quarter, with Bibi Mercado leading the way with five points.

The Trojans would rally in the second quarter, using a 9-0 run to close the gap to 20-13 at the 6:24 mark. Trinity would recover, scoring the final three field goals of the half to take a 33-21 lead at the break.

The visitors would pull closer in the third quarter, out-scoring Trinity 16-6 as the Trolls went 3-for-13 from the floor. A 12-0 run for Hannibal between the third and fourth quarters would result in the Trojans taking their first lead of the day, 44-39 with 8:43 left to play. Hannibal would maintain a small lead the rest of the way to secure the win.

Mercado led the Trolls with 15 points on the day, along with three assists and two steals. Destiny Goodwin tallied 10 points and three boards, while Lorena Arnett recorded a team-high four assists to go with eight points and four rebounds.

The Trolls will look to bounce back next week, when they open conference play at Governors State. Tipoff with the Jaguars is set for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20.