TIGERS TAKE DOWN TRINITY INTERNATIONAL AT HOME

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Tigers grab another home win by defeating the Trojans of Trinity International University. Trinity started the game with a couple of big buckets, but once the Tigers found their stride they did not look back. Halfway through the first quarter, back-to-back layups for Kennedy Johnson (JR/Romulus, Mich.) would give ONU their first lead and it was a lead they would not give up for the remainder of the game.

Getting involved early was the combination of Maggie Cora (SO/Lizton, Ind.) and Olivia Demosthenes (FR/Bloomington, Ill.). On three assists from Demothenes, Cora scored eight of her 13 points in the first half. Taking a 23-16 lead into the second quarter, the Tigers kept the pressure on with a flurry of three-pointers coming from around the court, including two by Kaitlyn Engle. Halfway through the game the Tigers were shooting 42% from beyond the arc and 52% from the field, giving them a sturdy 24-point lead.

Halftime: ONU 58, TIU 34

To open up play in the second half, the Trojans stormed back to get within 15 before Karina Smits (JR/Pewaukee, Wis.) hit from deep to once again extend the Tiger's lead. Later in the quarter, Kennedy Johnson would hit her first three-pointer of the season, on her way to a game-high 27 points. A final surge in the fourth quarter put the Trojans down by five, but a timely three-pointer by Kaitlyn Engle (SO/Wapakoneta, Ohio) killed the momentum and allowed for the Tigers to separate once again. All-around strong shooting performances from Zanna Myers (JR/Monticello, Ill.) and Natalie Bardwell (JR/Goodfield, Ill.) also gave the Tigers the extra support they needed to put the game away. When the final buzzer sounded, the Tigers won by a comfortable 12-point margin.

GAME VITALS

Score: Olivet Nazarene – 97 | Trinity International – 85

Records: Olivet Nazarene – 4-1 (2-0) | Trinity International– 2-3 (0-1)

Location: Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais, Ill. | McHie Arena

STAT TRACKER

• Kennedy Johnson: 27 points, five assists, five steals, three rebounds
• Maggie Cora: 13 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal
• Zanna Myers: 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals
• Karina Smits: nine points, three rebounds, five assists, five steals

WHAT'S NEXT?

On Saturday, January 6th, the Tigers will host the Wolves from Cardinal Stritch University. Tip-off will be at 1 pm CT in McHie Arena. As always, follow along on https://portal.stretchinternet.com/olivet/.