There will be no NCAA postseason for Trinity. It was a disappointing end to the season for Trinity men’s basketball, who lost 58-53 in overtime to the University of St. Thomas in the SCAC championship final after defeating Colorado College in the semifinal. The loss in Irving prevented the Tigers from claiming an automatic spot in the national tournament, and they also came up short of earning an at-large bid.
Trinity finished the regular season with a 21-4 record and earned the second seed in the SCAC tournament. The Tigers finished particularly strong at the end of the regular season, winning 15 of their final 16 games. Trinity’s final regular season game was in Colorado Springs, where they defeated Colorado College 83-76 in what proved to be a preview of the second round.
“We were really confident going into [the tournament],” senior guard Jacob Harvey said. “We felt really good, and felt really prepared. We had just played Colorado, so playing them again was really good. We were familiar with their players and what they wanted to do against our defense.”
Semifinals: Colorado College
The Tigers got off to a hot start against Colorado College, jumping to a commanding 31-19 advantage at halftime. Trinity held on to that lead, winning 67-50 in a complete performance.
“They had the ball down seven for the last shot of the half, and we were able to turn them over, get a layup and get it to nine, and turn them over again and get a three at the buzzer,” head coach Jimmy Smith said. “That’s kind of where the game swung.”
Jacob Harvey and sophomore guard Christian Green led the team in scoring, each accounting for 15 points. Senior forward Braxton Barry made an impact on the boards, reeling in a team-leading 12 rebounds. With the win, Trinity secured a spot in the conference title game for the second time in three years. Their opponents were the St. Thomas Celts, who had just beaten Trinity 81-69 in Houston a week earlier.
“We hadn’t beaten St. Thomas in a while,” Harvey said. “I beat them my freshman year one time, and after that we haven’t beaten them again.”
Finals: St. Thomas
The Celts have had Trinity’s number in previous years, but the SCAC final remained close and competitive the whole game. The defenses for both teams controlled the game, forcing repeated scoreless possessions on both sides. Eight minutes into the game there were only a total of ten points on the board. The halftime score was only slightly better, as St. Thomas took a 19-16 lead into the locker room.
“I think our defense was what really stood out to me this weekend, and our ability to execute our scouting plan that we had,” Harvey said. “Our defense was some of the best it’s been all year.”
Despite strong defense from Trinity, the Celts began to figure things out offensively in the second half. St. Thomas took an 8-point lead late in the game, leaving the Tigers to face elimination. However, despite all odds Trinity came back and tied the game at 45.
The Tigers’ efforts gave them an opportunity to win the game in regulation. They had the ball with 15 seconds in the fourth quarter, but were unable to get a shot off. The game went to overtime where the Celts took over, outscoring Trinity 13-8 in the five-minute frame and winning the game 58-53.
“In overtime they just made some big shots,” Smith said. “I mean, their key guys just stepped up. They hit three threes in overtime and a tough layup, and they were just able to get out of reach at the end.”
Jacob Harvey, who has now played his final game for the Tigers, voiced immense disappointment about the final result.
“Not happy with how the season ended. Still bitter,” Harvey said. “You know, it only happened this past Sunday, so I’m still replaying a lot of the stuff in my head about what could have happened.”
It was a bitter ending to an otherwise successful year for Trinity basketball. The team finished with only five losses on the season en route to the SCAC finals, a step further than last year’s team. However, this loss marked the end for the careers of several seniors critical to the Tigers’ recent success: Braxton Barry, guard Jacob Millhouse, forward Ty Williams, forward Grant Jacobs and Jacob Harvey.
“These seniors will go out as the winningest group to ever come through the school,” Smith said. “Don’t want one game or one loss to take away from all these guys have done and accomplished.”
Despite the disappointment, Harvey also reflected on the good times while wearing maroon and white.
“It was a great season,” Harvey said. “This being my last season, I’m really going to miss all the guys and putting on the Trinity uniform. Some of the most special four years I’ve had.”
