ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – The Crown College Polars men's basketball team closed out Wednesday night's doubleheader with an 82–58 win over Trinity Bible College, powered by 18-point performances from both Anthony Knight and Levi Royston.
Trinity opened the game aggressively from beyond the arc, attempting 15 threes in the first half. The long-range approach played into the hands of Tyler Smith, who controlled the glass from the start and grabbed nine first-half rebounds. Offensively, the Polars got early sparks from Colby Deluce and Smith, who combined for the team's first four field goals, before Tristan Youngblood knocked down a three to push Crown ahead by four. From there, the Polars pulled away, using balanced scoring to build a 37–17 advantage and take a 20-point lead into halftime.
Crown appeared poised to stretch the margin further early in the second half, but Trinity responded with persistent full-court pressure and a significant boost in shooting efficiency—improving their field goal percentage by 20 percent compared to the opening period. Despite the Lions' defensive energy, the Polars maintained control, outscoring Trinity by four in the half and keeping the game well out of reach.
Royston provided a major lift off the bench, scoring 18 points on an efficient 7-for-10 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three. Knight matched him with 18 points of his own while adding seven rebounds and three assists on 7-of-11 shooting. Smith continued his dominant campaign with a seven-point, 15-rebound, seven-assist, six-block performance. The junior currently leads the UMAC in rebounds—holding a 30-rebound cushion over the next closest player—and in blocks with 38 through 10 games, a total 21 higher than anyone else in the conference. Smith also sits tied for second in assists with Knight, as both players enter the weekend with 48 assists, just one shy of the conference lead.
As a team, Crown shot 40.7% from the field and overwhelmed Trinity on the boards with a 60–30 rebounding margin. The Polars turned those extra opportunities into 26 second-chance points while limiting the Lions to just eight.
Crown returns to action on Saturday, December 13, when both the men's and women's programs travel to Ankeny, Iowa, to face Faith Baptist. The Polars will then host the College of St. Scholastica on New Year's Eve in their final non-conference matchup before UMAC play begins
