PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. — Trinity Christian used a strong first half and a balanced scoring effort to pull away from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, handing the Pomeroys an 80–63 setback Tuesday afternoon at DeVos Gymnasium.
Trinity Christian built a 42–25 halftime advantage and never trailed in the contest, shooting 50 percent from the field in the opening half and knocking down five 3-pointers to establish control. The Trolls finished the game at 45.3 percent shooting and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc.
SMWC showed improved efficiency after the break, outscoring Trinity Christian 38–38 in the second half while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor. The Pomeroys were led by
Malachi Pearson, who came off the bench to score a team-high 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including three 3-pointers.
Mike Ajukwa and
Quamar Hobbs each added 10 points for SMWC, while
Terrance Hill chipped in nine points in limited minutes.
Taray Howell contributed nine points, four rebounds and three assists.
Trinity Christian was paced by Tylan Harris, who scored a game-high 18 points while hitting four 3-pointers. Garrett Greene added 16 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, and Aiden Cilladi scored 13 points off the bench.
SMWC finished the game shooting 37.3 percent from the field and was out-rebounded 41–35. The Pomeroys scored 26 bench points and 34 points in the paint.
River States Conference play resumes for SMWC on Saturday, Jan. 3, when the Pomeroys travel to IU Columbus for a 3 p.m. (ET) tipoff.
