ANGOLA, Ind. - The #25 Coe College men's basketball team fell just short in a NCAA DIII Tournament round of 32 matchup on Saturday evening, suffering a 76-70 loss to #9 Trine University on the Thunder's home floor. Coe found itself in trouble early as Trine started hot, opening the game with 15 of the first 19 points. The hosts continued to push the lead during the half, taking a 20-point advantage with 35 seconds to play.
Cooper Nailor hit the final shot of the half, knocking down a buzzer-beating 3 to give the Kohawks some momentum heading into the break. Coe quickly got itself back into the game in the second half, dominating the opening six minutes to pull within five. The Kohawks surged closer to the Thunder just a few minutes later, using a 13-3 run to take a 62-61 lead with 6:38 to play. Trine and Coe traded blows over the next few possessions but the Thunder hit a crucial 3-pointer with 1:36 to take a four-point lead. The Kohawks extended the game, getting within three points but Trine converted its free throws and locked down the win.
Cael Schmitt was the game's leading scorer, falling two points shy of his career-high with 32 points and three steals while playing all 40 minutes. The senior from Dubuque was 7-of-15 and scored 23 of his 32 points in the second half to lead Coe's comeback. Kohawk forwards
Josh Schloe and
TJ Schnurr each hit the double-figure mark as well, scoring 10 points each.
#9 TRINE 76 - #25 COE 70
GAME FACTS
- Trine controlled much of the first half, shooting 7-of-14 from beyond the arc and 52.7 percent overall. Coe struggled to find the mark on offense, hitting just 10 field goals in the opening 20 minutes while going just 3-of-13 from deep. The Kohawks came to life in the second period, getting eight points from Schmitt and a layup from John Steffen to close the gap to eight. Coe continued to fight in the next few minutes, slowly chipping away at Trine's lead. Schmitt made it a four-point game midway through the period with his fifth 3 of the half, pulling Coe to within 58-54. Schnurr and Schloe combined moments later to give the Kohawks the lead, scoring two each to help put Coe up 62-61 with 6:38 to play. Trine fought back and took a three–point lead, scoring four unanswered points before the four-minute mark. The squads went back-and-forth over the closing stretch but the hosts hit the biggest shot of the contest, extending their lead to four with a 3-pointer late in the shot clock. Coe continued to battle, cutting the deficit to two on a layup from Schloe but Trine hung on, hitting four of its final six free throws to survive.
#KohawkNation #TalonsOut
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