Trojans get "Signature" win over Indian Hills

The first Triton-Indian Hills matchup of the season Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the Jordnt Athletic Complex was truly a numbers game.

Most important, of course, was the final score – 81-65 in favor of the 20-1 Trojans, the numbers starting out modest for two high-scoring teams before a robust 51-point second half tilted the contest toward the host.

Most astounding was 34-for-35 – Triton's free-throw shooting percentage that in the end negated 16-5 Indian Hills' strategy of taking away the Trojans' effective three-point game. The only missed free throw was by Tolu Samuels, who was 2-for-3, but more than made up for the sole miss with 16 points on seven-for-nine shooting. Triton star Amar Augillard, the game's leading scorer with 24 points, was 12-for-12.

"Thirty-four-for thirty-five was huge," said Triton coach Brian Burns.

The subset stat in foul shooting was six, as in the number of consecutive free throws, in one sequence, nailed by Triton with 2:05 to go that clinched the game via boosting the lead to 14 points.  Four straight free throws were technical foul shots, nailed by Augillard, as two Warriors coaches were shown the locker room in the sequence. AJ Dixon hit the final two free throws.

Then there's lucky No. 13 – Indian Hills' national ranking compared to No. 15 for Triton. But by what Burns called a "signature" win, the Trojans could soon be considered to trade rankings with the Warriors.

"We should be in the Top Ten," said Augillard.

But the most historic number of all was one – the first-ever Triton victory over Indian Hills in eight games dating back to 1998.

"It's good," said Burns. "Obviously they're a blue blood program. It's great to get a win against these guys."

Informed of the historic victory, Aguillard -- who led all scorers with 24 points -- couldn't quite analyze the feat.

"No, I didn't even know that," he said. "I don't know what to say about that. We're having a great season so far."

The game began contrary to the Trojans' and Warriors' styles. Triton averages 94 points a game while Indian Hills averages 80. But the Trojans led just 30-24 at halftime. Burns and the players then switched strategies.

"We made adjustments at halftime," said Augillard. "We knew the second half would be ours."

Although the Warriors took a couple of brief leads midway through the second half, the Trojans kept on coming with their inside game and free-throw sharpshooting. Dylan Williams' seven quick points (out of his 17) seized the momentum with a 59-52 lead. Eventually frustration took over on the visitors' bench, and Triton converted the technical foul freebies to forge a double-digit lead.

Good impressions were thus made on Division I spectators who populated Triton's biggest home crowd of the season so far. Among the spectators was former Triton coach John Clancy, now an assistant at Western Illinois.

Dixon added 14 for the Trojans. Braden Sparks led the Warriors with 13. The Trojans held Indian Hills star Trevion LaBeaux to just eight.

Revenge? Indian Hills must wait until March 2 for its rematch at home against Triton in Ottumwa, Iowa.
 
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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)