CHICAGO, Ill. – Trailing by double-digits with six minutes to play, Trinity would hit four big three-pointers in the closing minutes to pull off the comeback, defeating Saint Xavier on the road, 94-92 on Saturday afternoon.
The victory is the first for the Trolls since 2021, and first on the road against the Cougars since 1996 – marking the program's first-ever win at Saint Xavier's Shannon Center.
The Trolls led throughout most of the first half, going up by as much as 13 points on Ognjen Petkovic's jumper at the 7:39 mark. Saint Xavier would respond by closing the gap before the halftime break, leaving Trinity with just a two-point edge, 47-45 at the half.
The Cougars take a narrow lead early in the second half, which ballooned to 11 points after a 6-0 run made it an 80-69 score with 6:10 to play. Back-to-back threes from Tylan Harris and Danny Staskunas cut the deficit to five on the Trolls following two possessions.
A three-pointer for the home team pushed the Cougars' advantage back up to nine with just over four minutes to play, but Trinity would come back with six unanswered, setting up Marcus Green's three-pointer at the 2:15 mark to make it a two-point game. Saint Xavier connected on a pair of free throws, but Staskunas hit another three, and Donavyn Sayles scored off the turnover to put Trinity in front, 91-90 with 1:12 remaining.
Both teams would trade scoring possessions, leaving Saint Xavier with the ball trailing 93-92; Green would come up with the steal in the closing seconds to seal the win for the Trolls.
Green led Trinity with 31 points in the win, marking his second straight 30-point game and his third of the season. Chris Cross finished with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while Staskunas knocked down five three-pointers to finish with 17 points, his highest total in a regulation game this year. Sayles went 5-for-6 from the floor to record his highest point total as a Troll, finishing with 10 points in 24 minutes off the bench.
The Trolls return home for one final time in 2024, when they host Viterbo on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Tipoff with the V-Hawks is set for 5:30 p.m.
