March 19, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) pulled away down the stretch to post a 67-58 victory against the University of Mobile (Ala.) in first-round action at the 2008 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship Wednesday at Municipal Auditorium.

The Trojans built a 15-point lead early in the second half, only to see it disappear thanks to a Mobile rally midway through the period. However, Trevecca Nazarene scored 12 consecutive points late in the contest to regain the lead and collect the victory. Trevecca Nazarene, the No. 16 seed in the tournament, moves to 25-8 overall. The Trojans will now face top-seeded Georgetown College (Ky.) in second-round play Friday at 4:30 p.m. CST.

Trevecca Nazarene shot 52.2 percent for the game (24-of-46), including a 54.2 percent effort in the first half as the Trojans moved out to a 36-24 lead at the break. Trevecca Nazarene broke open a close game in the opening stages with a 13-3 run that put the Trojans on top 27-15 midway through the period. The Trojans led by as many as 17 points before taking its 12-point advantage into the locker room.

In the second half, Mobile controlled the action, reeling off 18 consecutive points in one stretch to grab a 53-48 lead with 8:56 on the clock. The Rams held Trevecca Nazarene without a point for six minutes during the spurt. The Trojans eventually tied the game once again at 55-55, then took the lead for good on a field goal by Matthew Elliott with just under five minutes to play. Elliott's basket came during Trevecca Nazarene's decisive late run, which ended on a pair of free throws by Josh Helton with 30 seconds remaining.

Helton led Trevecca Nazarene with a game-high 24 points, including six three-point field goals. Collins Onyando notched a double-double with 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, while Christopher Harris contributed 10 points for the Trojans. Trevecca Nazarene was 9-of-17 from beyond the arc in the contest.

Robert Jones scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds to pace Mobile. Steve Pellan chipped in with 11 points for the Rams. Mobile ends its season with an overall record of 22-10.