The Triton College men's basketball team has booked a familiar mid-March destination – a spot deep in the post-season playing Three Rivers College in the Division I Midwest District Championship Saturday, March 15 at 7 p.m., in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
"It's a tough place to play," said Triton coach
Brian Burns. "(Coach) Robert Kirby is doing a good job. They're talented and good."
Yet it's inconceivable the matchup between regional powers can be any tougher than the 28-4 Trojans' 79-76 victory over Kankakee Community College in the Region 4 championship game Saturday, March 8, at the Jorndt Athletic Complex gymnasium.
The title is the fourth Region 4 Division I crown in the last five seasons for Triton.
The third time the No. 7 NJCAA ranked Trojans played the Cavaliers was almost not the charm. Triton had beaten Kankakee twice previously this season by a combined margin of 37 points. But the point spreads were somewhat deceiving. Kankakee hardly was chopped liver with a 24-9 record.
The Cavaliers forced the Trojans to endure the grind-it-out game Burns admitted his defensively-talented roster must play. The visitors quickly wiped out a seven-point halftime deficit to stay within one possession of tying the game, including a three-point attempt that fell short as time ran out.
Sophomore forward
Tolu Samuels' best all-around game of the season and star
Dayjaun Anderson's late offensive surge staved off the frenetic second-half efforts of the Cavaliers' Khylan McKennie, who tallied 18 of his game-high 22 points after intermission.
"They're good," Burns said of Kankakee. "Their guards put pressure on us the whole game. McKennie is a fast, electric guard. We could never quite separate. They kept getting better and better."
Samuels early and Anderson late proved the right combination.
The ranking veteran of the Trojans' national runner-up team in 2024, Samuels helped stake his team to a 37-30 halftime lead via 13 points and five rebounds, playing all 20 minutes. He'd finish with 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
"Tolu's been a stud," Burns said. "He's been good the last month or so."
Although generally an inside player, Samuels made two of his four three-point attempts, which Burns encouraged.
"If they're not going to guard you, shoot five (three-pointers)," Burns said. "I don't care if you go 0-for-5. He's at 62 wins in his Triton career – he's a winner."
Anderson had scored just three points in the first half, but heated up later to match McKennie's surge. Anderson's banker gave Triton its largest lead at 10 points with 9:30 to play. After Kankakee cut into the lead, Anderson connected on three drives into the lane to hold the lead. He would finish with 16 points and four assists.
"DA made some plays down the stretch and put us over the top," Burns said.
After the Cavaliers crept to within 78-76 with six seconds to go,
Vijay Wallace split a pair of free throws. This gave Kankakee one final chance and Jeremiah Edwards' three-point attempt at a tie hit the front rim as the buzzer sounded. The Cavaliers ended up 0-for-10 from three-point range.
Samuels' and Anderson's offense around the basketball made up for an uncommon shortfall from long range for Triton, which connected on just five of 25 three-point attempts. Triton also was more dominant defensively around the basket with a 37-28 rebounding advantage and seven blocks to Kankakee's none.
Big man
Peitok Machar had 14 points, nine rebounds and five blocks, while guard
Kaiden Space had 13 points.
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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)
