NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 30) – Despite a career-high 24 points from sophomore Gerard Tarin (Fort Myers, Fla./East Lee County), the Tigers were dealt a 95-77 loss at league-leading Trevecca Saturday afternoon.
 
The Salem International University men's basketball team falls to 3-15 overall, 0-5 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. Meanwhile, the Trojans improve to 5-1 in the G-MAC, a three-way tie for first place with Kentucky Wesleyan and Alderson Broaddus, 9-11 overall.
 
Tarin finished with a double-double, 24 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, in the loss. Senior Jerry Sipple, III (Kansas City, Mo./Wyandotte) chipped in 14 points, while junior Dominique Robinson (Waldorf,Md./St. Mary's Ryken) and junior Conrad Etchi (Burtonsville, Md./James H. Blake) each added 11 points.
 
Trevecca built a 24-13 lead with 10:25 left in the first half, before Salem International mounted a comeback. The Tigers scored nine-straight points, capped off by a jumper by Robinson, to cut the deficit to two, 24-22, with just under five minutes until halftime.
 
The Trojans extended their lead back to as many as eight, but the Tigers hovered within striking distance, trailing 42-36 at halftime.
 
A dunk by Tarin in the opening minute of the second half pulled Salem International within four, 42-38, but the Tigers did not get any closer. Trevecca led 75-62 at the under-eight minute timeout and controlled play to earn the victory.
 
Despite keeping the game relatively close for the first 25 minutes, the Tigers did not hold the lead at any point in the contest. The Trojans held advantages in points in the paint (46-26) and second-chance points (19-7) to help lead them to victory.
 
Trevecca's Byron Sanford poured in a game-high 32 points and added eight rebounds to lead the Trojans.
 
The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 2 when they head to Philippi, West Virginia to take on Alderson Broaddus around 7:30 p.m.