This wasn’t just a crushing loss because it came in overtime.
And it wasn’t a crushing loss because it signaled the end of the season.
Trinity Christian’s men’s basketball team dropped a 73-69 semifinal to No. 1 seed Governors State in overtime on Feb. 27 in University Park in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference to fall to 17-13.
It was crushing because it was the final game for the the program as the Palos Heights school is closing in the spring.
“There were plenty of tears and heartbreak there,” coach David Osborn said. “We knew coming down the stretch that there was no tomorrow, and we weren’t guaranteed anything in this life.”
Garrett Greene, a Brother Rice grad, led the Trolls with 23 points in the finale.
The NAIA will make its selection for at-large teams on March 5 for its national tournament, but Osborn says his team is out.
“I don’t think there is any chance we will get in,” he said. “Our league will not get enough respect to get more than two teams in. And our RPI is not good enough.”
The finale featured a fan bus of Trinity students making the trip for the GSU game.
Osborn said the team went through a lot this season and stayed strong.
“They were just a resilient bunch,” he said. “What this group accomplished … you have to care about and love the guys you are in the locker room with. They loved and cared about each other.
“That allowed us to overcome some of the adversity of the school shutting down and the uncertainty for them.”
Still, the loss was hard to swallow.
“We wanted the fairy-tale ending, but we just didn’t get it,” Osborn said.
SXU women in limbo
St. Xavier’s women’s team entered this week in limbo regarding their postseason future in the NAIA Tournament.
The NAIA will make the at-large selections known at 7 p.m. March 5.
SXU’s women (18-11), the fourth seed, fell in the first round of the CCAC Tournament, 69-61 in overtime to fifth-seeded Governors State on Feb. 24 in Chicago.
Veronica Bafia led the Cougars with 20 points. It’s the second straight year the Cougars fell in overtime in the opening round to go 18-11. But they but still picked up a bid in 2025.
Another Wrigley battle
There will be a second game involving area baseball teams playing at Wrigley Field when Brother Rice faces Mount Carmel on May 23.
The Cubs face Philadelphia at 1:20 p.m. and the two Catholic League rivals will square off 45 minutes after the game.
Oak Lawn and Reavis will also play at Wrigley after the Cubs play Pittsburgh on April 12 at the fabled park.
Short handed Fire win
The Chicago Fire won their home opener, 3-0 over Montreal Feb. 28 at Soldier Field despite playing a man down after the 56th minute when Jonathan Dean picked up a red card.
Jonathan Bamba scored in the 27th minute while Hugo Cuypers and Robin Lod scored in stoppage time for the Fire (1-1-0). Chris Brady recorded the shutout.
Chicago State’s big commit
Chicago State, which is building a new football program, picked up a huge commitment from LSU transfer Tre People.
The quarterback from California was heavily recruited in 2025, but did not play for LSU. He has four years of eligibility left.
The Cougars make their program debut Aug. 29 against Roosevelt at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. They will also play Norfolk State (Sept. 26), Fort Lauderdale (Oct. 31) and Virginia University of Lynchburg (Nov. 21) at SeatGeek.