CHICAGO – Redshirt junior guard MJ Galimah (Coon Rapids, Mich./St. Cloud Tech/Riverland/Coon Rapids) collected a season-high 21 points, making all six of his shots from the floor, but the Saint Xavier University men's basketball team (6-9, 4-4 CCAC) lost its first game at home this season, falling 106-97 in overtime to Trinity Christian College (Ill.) in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) contest Saturday afternoon on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. Galimah went 9-for-11 from the foul line while adding four rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal in 24 minutes off the bench before he fouled out of the game in the extra frame. Junior guard James Morgan (Chicago, Ill./South Suburban/Lincoln Land/East Chicago Central) sent the game into OT by making a layup with three seconds left, and the Cougars forced a turnover on the in-bounds pass to keep the score at 90-90.

Trinity Christian opened the game on a 9-2 run in the opening minutes, building its largest lead of the game, 16-7, at the 15:16 mark. SXU responded with a 20-5 run over the next five minutes to take a 27-21 advantage midway through the first half with 10:01 remaining. The lead went back and forth to close out the frame. Galimah converted an 'Old Fashioned' three-point play with :23 left, and he blocked a shot at the buzzer to keep the game at one possession, 45-42 in favor of TCC. The Trolls controlled the first portion of the second half, taking a 53-47 lead after a three-pointer at 17:53. Saint Xavier chipped away and retook the lead when redshirt junior guard Mason Kibelkis (Peotone, Ill./Peotone) knocked down a three to make it 64-63 with 12:42 to play. Kibelkis made another trey a minute later for a 69-63 edge.

The game remained tight into the final minute when Trinity Christian tied the game at 87-87 with :53 left in regulation. TCC went up 90-88 on a layup and an 'And-1' at the :13 mark. The Cougars called a timeout, drawing up the tying play that allowed Morgan to score. In the extra period, the Trolls made three of their four shot attempts and converted all nine free-throw attempts to pull away. Both teams shot well from the field for the game with Trinity Christian shooting 58.9 percent (33-for-56) and SXU going 50.0 percent (32-for-64).

• Senior forward Davion Lawrence (Oak Lawn, Ill./Moraine Valley/Oak Lawn Community) recorded 16 points, five rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block while logging a team-high 31 minutes.
• Morgan totaled 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting, and was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, along with a steal in 17 minutes of action.
• Senior guard Ashton Atwater (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley/Ostego) finished with 11 points, making three three-pointers, while adding two assists, two rebounds and two steals.
• Senior guard Mekhi Wilson (Covington, Ky./Iowa Central/Covington Catholic) also tallied 11 points, making 5-of-8 shot attempts. He also had an assist and a steal.
• Junior forward Marko Tojagic (Belgrade, Serbia/Saint Andrews) came away with seven points, four rebounds and a steal.
• Kibelkis scored seven points as well, adding a rebound and a steal.
• Senior guard Jerry Abushanab (Glendale Heights, Ill./Oklahoma Panhandle State/Southwest Baptist/Link Prep) registered five points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
• Senior guard DJ Shelton (Chicago, Ill./Calumet St. Joseph/United Tribes Technical College/Thornridge) added five points, two assists, a rebound and a steal.

Saint Xavier (6-9, 4-4 CCAC) makes the trip to Notre Dame, Ind. to play Holy Cross College (Ind.) in CCAC action on Wednesday, January 14. The game is slated for a 6:30 pm central tip-off.