The Trojans hung in tough against Mo Valley in the first half. They kept the lead around 9 points for most of the half by getting to the free throw line 15 times and playing tough defense. The offense, however, struggled not only in the first half but throughout most of the game. 20 of the Trojans 28 first half points came from Patrick Atkins (JR Chicago IL) and Carson Chapman (SO, Yorba Linda CA). Even with the offensive struggles, the Trojans were within 7 points with just 3:43 remaining in the first half. That's when the flood gates opened as Mo Valley finished the half on a 11-2 run pulling away from TIU and at halftime the Trojans trailed 44-28.
The Trojans came out in the second half with hopes of playing themselves back into the game. On their first possession of the second half, Atkins got a steal and pushed the ball down the court finding Tyrone Smith (JR, Detriot MI) for a big three. That would be the main highlight of the second half as the Trojans went ice cold for the remainder of the second half.
With 12:41 remaining in the game, the Trojans trailed 65-42. From that point on, the Trojans would score only 5 points over the remaining 12 minutes. They continued to find open men and take uncontested shots but the ball would not go down. Defensively, the Trojans struggled with Mo Valleys size. TIU was much smaller on the inside and struggled to stop Mo Valley's big men in the paint.
In the end, it was a disappointing opener for the Trojans as they fell 89-47. Atkins finished the game with a double double, 14 points and 10 rebounds, but was only 3-12 from the floor. Altogether, the Trojans shot a mere 23% from the floor and 65% from the free throw line.
The Trojans hope to bounce back tomorrow night in the second game of the La Quinta Classic as they take on Bethel College who defeated Judson in opening game.
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