DAYTONA BEACH – The Trine University men's basketball team secured a second consecutive win at the Mauro Panaggio Tournament on Tuesday afternoon by scoring the final seven points in the championship game to defeat Piedmont University. The Thunder conclude their trip to the Sunshine State with a 2-0 record and move to 6-3 on the year. Piedmont is now 5-4.
 
Logan McKenzie broke a 69-all tie with a layup with 1:55 remaining, Trine held the Lions scoreless over the final 2:25 of game time. Jayden Bradshaw put the game in hand for Trine with a three pointer with 18 seconds left and Nate Tucker iced it with a defensive rebound and a pair of free throws with just 3 ticks left on the clock.
 
Bradshaw led Trine with 19 points on the back of a 5-of-10 effort from beyond the three point line. Cade Brenner scored 10 for the Thunder and nearly posted a double-double with nine rebounds. Trine held a 43-29 rebounding advantage and posted a season-high 79.2% mark from the charity stripe.
 
Trine struggled shooting in the first half, managing just 25% from the floor. The defense did its part limiting the Lions to 31 first half points as the Thunder trailed by a pair at the break. Trine led for nearly all of the first half, the Lions only claimed the lead in the final minute of the half. Cade Brenner grabbed an early lead for Trine with made baskets on consecutive possessions, the second being a long ball that gave the Thunder a 13-8 lead. Trine led by as many as 11 in the half courtesy of a 10-0 run mainly from the free throw line. Jess Roller made four and a layup, Brenner made a pair and Drew Panning had a lay in.
 
The second half appeared to favor the Lions, who jumped out to a 49-39 lead with 11:35 left in the game. The Thunder were not finished and methodically clawed back into the contest. Bradshaw started the rally with a long ball and then found Tucker for a layup. Tucker cut the lead to four with a triple and Panning halved the advantage from the free throw line. Trine forced a pair of empty possessions from the Lions before Bradshaw tied it at 53 with 8:14 left.
 
The teams traded blows for the next two and a half minutes. Brenner gave Trine the lead and the Lions answered with a tying basket. Eddie Millington found Panning for a dunk to regain the lead. Piedmont then claimed a three-point lead. Trine had the answers this time, Panning made a put back layup, Brenner found Danny Flood for the first of a pair of triples. Tucker netted a pair from the stripe and the Thunder led by seven. The Lions clawed back to tie the game at 69 but it was all Navy and Gold from there as Trine scored the final seven and forced three straight one-shot possessions.
 
Trine is off for two weeks before heading to Manchester on December 30^th for a 2:00 p.m. contest against the Spartans.