Joey Trinkle had 15 points and Tyler Shields added 14 Friday as Colorado Christian Basketball cruised past Johnson and Wales in their 2014-15 home opener. The Cougars picked up the 89-63 win – their second of the year – after shooting a blazing 50% from both the field and downtown.
 
Though JWU challenged Christian in the game's first five minutes, a patient CCU squad withstood all Wildcat surges. Taking advantage of their opponent's miscues, the Cougars built a lead that soon had the game out of reach. A 48-29 halftime advantage became a 37 point CCU lead midway through the second period, as five Cougar players connected on one or more treys.
 
"Lots of guys made solid contributions tonight," remarked Head Coach Kevin Lubbers. "It's always good to win at home."
 
CCU's offensive leaders Trinkle and Shields also paced the Cougars on the glass, combining for 13 rebounds to help Christian outdo their opponents 35-33. Andrew Squiers and Michael Brown added a combined 23 points, with Squiers tallying a game-best five assists. On the way to a 30-12 bench scoring advantage, CCU got production from 13 Cougar players – with all but one notching at least one bucket or rebound.
 
Of course, the satisfaction that comes from a win can never last too long.
 
"We will have a tough one tomorrow, and need to continue to make progress on both ends."
 
Though Saturday's opponent (Bethany College) lost on Friday, the Cougars know better than to look past anyone. CCU squares off against BC at 7pm to close out the year's preseason.