Men's Basketball Season Recap!
Trinity Bible College Men's Basketball Season Ends After Tough Loss to North Central in NCCAA North Region Championship
The Trinity Bible College Lions men's basketball team's remarkable season came to a heartbreaking end after a tough 104-95 loss to the #1 nationally ranked North Central University Rams in the NCCAA North Region Championship. Despite a fierce second-half comeback, the Lions couldn't overcome the Rams' strong start and clutch free throws down the stretch.
A Strong Start in the Region Tournament
The Lions began their tournament run with a dominant 87-70 win over 6th seeded Oak Hills Christian College.The Lions played well as a team and moved onto the second round setting up a thrilling showdown with #3 nationally ranked Crown College in the next round.
The Thrilling Upset: Lions Defeat Crown College
In what will surely go down as one of the most exciting games of the season, the Lions pulled off an incredible upset, defeating Crown College 103-101. The game featured an electric performance from Jonathan Ogugua, who dropped 41 points, including a last-second baseline jumper to win the game. Oguga shot an impressive 16-27 from the field, while also shooting 6-10 from behind the arc! Quincy Wilson added 22 points, shooting 6-of-12 from three-point range. Freshman Owen Pollard had a breakout performance off the bench, scoring 10 points, including two crucial three-pointers in the first half. Senior guard Marcellus Mencarini contributed 13 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds, nearly recording a triple-double.
North Central University: The Tough Final Challenge
The final test came in the championship game against the North Central University Rams. North Central, the #1 team in the nation wasted no time building an early 10-2 lead in the first three minutes. By halftime, the Lions found themselves trailing 57-33, but they weren't ready to go down without a fight.
Trinity came out swinging in the second half, outshooting the rams 62-47, cutting the lead to just nine points with 2:15 left on the clock. However, North Central made key free throws in the final moments to secure the win, ending the Lions Season with a 104-95 scoreline.
Historic Team Achievements
Though their season ended short of a championship, the Lions made history in numerous ways. With a 22-10 overall record and an undefeated conference record.The team set several records, including tying the single-game record for most three-pointers made (22) and breaking the record for most three-pointers in a season with 357. They also set the program record for most points in a season, finishing with an impressive 3,018 total points. In the NCCAA the Lions had #2 rated offense in the country averaging 93 points per game as a team!
On the shooting front, the Lions displayed their offensive prowess, shooting a team-record 49.4% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc, making them the most efficient shooting team in Trinity Bible College history.
Individual Accolades
Individually, several Lions received accolades for their standout performances. Jonathan Ogugua was named Conference Most Valuable Player and was a First-Team All-Region selection. He also reached a major career milestone, scoring 1,000 career points. Marcellus Mencarini, who also earned All-Conference and First-Team All-Region honors, notched 3,000 career points this season, a remarkable achievement. Quincy Wilson was named All conference, and All-Region Honorable mentions also reached 1,500 career points, Samuel Wilson also earned an All-Conference selection, and Nehemiah Becker was named All-Region Honorable Mention.
For National awards Colten Pagnac was named Academic All-American. Pagnac and Lachlan Moutsias also each grabbed 20 rebounds in a single game, just one shy of the program record.
Coach Jordan Nowell Reflects on the Season
Head coach Jordan Nowell expressed his pride in the team's achievements despite falling short of the ultimate goal. "It was really hard to see this season come to an end," Nowell said. "The guys were so talented and fun to watch this year. We finished 22-11 for the second straight year and came up 9 points short of a region championship. This group was one of the best scoring and shooting groups that I have ever had!"
Nowell also praised his team's character and dedication, saying, "I really enjoyed coaching this group. They are a great group of guys that come from all different backgrounds that all love the game of basketball. I'm excited to see what next year holds, but I will definitely miss coaching these basketball players."
