TBC Eagles Men's Basketball finished the first semester of play by tying their second-highest point total ever against a Division 1 opponent when they scored 72 against the University of North Florida Ospreys on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles scored 36 points in each half and shot 43% overall from the field, but UNF got red hot in the second half to win 113-72.

The Eagles drained 30 total baskets from the field, including nine three-pointers, in putting up their scoring total.

Five players scored in double figures, led by Brandon Hill and Zach Kiadii, who each had 15. Hill was 7 for 14 (50%)  from the field and hit his only foul shot. Kiaddi was 7 for 12 (58%), including a three-pointer; he also pulled in 4 rebounds.

[Zach Kiaddi is introduced to the crowd.]

Three-pointers came from Diego Fernandez (3), Jace Spinelli (2), Xavier Rose (2), and Aubrey Howard (1) in addition to Kiadii. Howard also hit a pair of free throws at the end of the game, only the second and third the Eagles took the entire afternoon.

The first was Hill's, and that came on TBC's opening possession. Hill made the layup and drew the foul. His successful shot put the Eagles ahead 3-2. Two lead changes and a tie followed until Fernandez and Rose combined for 7 straight points to give Trinity a 14-7 lead at the 12:02 mark of the first half. Soon, though, UNF's Dorian James hit a three-pointer to put the Ospreys up 17-16. Kiadii's three gave the Eagles their final lead at 19-18 with 8:22 remaining in the first half.

UNF started to pull away, but the Eagles fought back and got to within two with 3:13 left in the half and then tied the score at 36-all with 1:55 remaining on Kiadii's jump shot. UNF, though, scored the final seven points of the half and led 43-36 at the break.

[Coach Nate DeLeon discusses the strategy vs UNF.]

Head coach Nate DeLeon expressed his pride in how well his team played against a top-notch NAIA program in Southeastern University and two NCAA Division 1 programs in Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida this past week. "Over the last three games, our guys have started to grasp one of our main pillars of success, which is FOCUS," he said. "That has led to us hanging in and even leading later in games we'd normally be out of. I'm extremely proud of the effort and intentionality they are displaying."

The Eagles played just as solidly in the second half and defensively forced UNF to shoot from well beyond the arc. The Ospreys, though, sank 11 of 22 of those shots (17 in the game) and were 60% overall from the field in the second half to pull away. They also hit 11 foul shots in that frame and 16 overall on the day. Jasai Miles scored 22 points to lead the court, and five teammates also hit double digits. Four different Ospreys hit either three or four three-point shots.

[The Eagles work their way up court for the score.]

Fernandez scored 13 points for the Eagles, and Rose and Spinelli each finished with 10. Rose also assisted 7 other scores, and the Eagles had 20 total assists. Howard totaled 5 points while Oramis Figuereo and Ahmir Hardy each added 2.

Following Christmas Break, the Eagles will resume play on January 6 with four consecutive home games, three against NCCAA Division 2 South Region opponents: Bob Jones University on January 6, Toccoa Falls College on January 13, and Pensacola Christian College on January 16. The Midwest region's Grace Christian College comes to Trinity Gymnasium on January 9.

Similar performances could mean great success in the second semester of play.

[Eagles prepare to take on the Ospreys.]