Tritons fall in battle with #4 Kirkwood at Hodges Fieldhouse

After defeating then #2 Kirkwood on their home floor in early December, Triton Head Coach, Ryan Kirsch knew Wednesday's matchup inside Hodges Fieldhouse with the #4 Eagles was going to be a battle.

The Tritons got off to a slow start only shooting 30% from the field in the first half and trailed by eleven, 35-24, at the half. They would get things going offensively in the second half and had a chance to take the lead at the 4-minute mark after closing the gap to two, 59-57. A rare missed 3PT attempt from Jalen Wynter would be as close as they would get as the Eagles scored the next four points and pulled away to the 71-64 victory. 

"We have to give their defense a lot of credit," said Kirsch. "Holding us to 24 points in the first half and locking in on some of our key guys and slowing them down."

The Tritons outshot the Eagles 34-16 in the second half with the biggest difference in the game being free throw attempts. Kirkwood would get to the line 33 times (made 30) while the Tritons only went 6-of-9 from the line.

"Kirkwood's ability to get to the line, and make them, was the difference in the game," added Kirsch. "A 24-point difference in a couple possession ball game. We needed to do a better job of guarding without fouling. Finding a way to be more aggressive without fouling."

Four Tritons scored in double figures with Wynter's 15 points leading the way. Irakli Akhalaia added 14, Daviyon Gaston came off the bench with 13, and CJ Mitchell scored ten along with 5 rebounds. As a team, the Tritons would finish 25-64 (39.1%) from the floor, 8-27 (29.6) from 3PT, and 6-9 (66.7%) from the line. They forced the Eagles into 21 turnovers while only turning the ball over 11 times.

Coach Kirsch was happy with the resiliency of the Tritons and how they continue to battle. "Our league is tough. We'll give it everything we've got every night," said Kirsch. "Our kids lay it all out on the line – and we'll continue to do that. We're a roll up your sleeves blue-collar program. That's what we're trying to build here."  

Kirsch also spoke about Wednesday night's "Jam-the-Gym" atmosphere inside Hodges Fieldhouse. "The crowd was unbelievable. What a great college basketball environment," said Kirsch. "Triton Dance and Triton Cheer, added to what the Triton Pep Band brings. It's just a really cool environment to be a part of."

Up next for the Tritons is a trip to Creston, Iowa on Saturday, February 1st for a conference matchup with Southwestern. Tip is set for 3:00 PM.

Statistical Leaders vs. Kirkwood –
Scoring – Jalen Wynter (15), Irakli Akhalaia (14), Daviyon Gaston (13), CJ Mitchell (10)
Rebounds – CJ Mitchell (5), Terrius Walker (4), Jalen Wynter (3), Daviyon Gaston (3), Vice Grbic (3)
Assists – Daviyon Gaston (2), Terrius Walker (2), Five Tritons tied at one.
Steals – CJ Mitchell (2), Jordan Cain (2), Five Tritons tied at one.