Findlay Fends off Feisty Trojans | Wins 72-66 in Nashville
Video Replay (Great Midwest Digital Network – Produced by Trevecca Nazarene)
Nashville, Tenn. – The University of Findlay men's basketball team had to come from behind on Thursday, Feb. 9 against a stubborn Trevecca Nazarene Trojans squad that did not play the way their two-win season would indicate. The Oilers trailed by 13 in the second half but rallied to pick up a 72-66 victory in the Music City, improving to 13-10 on the year with an 8-7 mark in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. Trevecca, meanwhile, which last week parted ways with their now former head coach Omar Mance, falls to 2-21 on the year with a 1-16 record in the conference.
Findlay led 16-15 through 12 minutes of play, a slow start to the contest, but the Trojans closed the final eight minutes on a 22-12 scoring run that gave the home team a nine-point lead at halftime.
The Trojans, which have never beaten the Oilers, saw that lead reach a game-high 13 points nearly six minutes into the second half, holding a 48-35 advantage. Over the final 14:41 of the game, however, the Oilers found their rhythm, outscoring TNU 37-18 in that stretch to pick up a hard-fought road win.
Trevecca Nazarene had a dream start to the game and were shooting over 60% at the half. They cooled off in the second and finished the game at 41.7% (20-for-48) compared to 24-of-55 (43.6%) for Findlay.
Part of that hot start included work on the glass where TNU was, at one point, outrebounding the Oilers 20-to-5. The Trojans did finish with a 39-to-26 advantage on the glass but were haunted by turnovers, committing 13. Findlay, on the other hand, turned it over just four times, tied for a season-low.
Sophomore Josh Thorbahn finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists while junior Andrew Owens contributed 12 points on the strength of 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Senior Deven Stover scored ten and tied with senior Nathan Bruns for a team-high five rebounds. Bruns would end the game with nine points, five boards, and a team-leading five assists.
Freshman Jagger Landers scored nine points off the bench while freshman Max Roth scored seven.
Findlay remains on the road with a trip to Owensboro, Kentucky on Saturday for a date with the Panthers of Kentucky Wesleyan College. That game will tip off at 3:15 EST.