RICHMOND, IND. – The sophomore duo of guard Greg Flores (Hammond, Ind.) and forward Jon Thompson (Rushville, Ind.) guided Manchester University in its final game at the 2012 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference/Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Challenge Sunday, Nov. 25.

Flores, wrapping up a monstrous 61-point week, tallied a team-high 13 points. Thompson, joining Flores with his fourth double-figure scoring game of the year, added 12 points in the Black and Gold's 78-61 loss to in-state rival Trine. Freshman forward Jarrod Schrock (Logansport, Ind.) was the third Spartans' player in double digits with 10 points on a strong shooting effort from the field (three-for-four) and free throw line (four-for-four) to go along with four rebounds.

MU, seeking its fourth consecutive win, battled back from an early 7-2 deficit and overtook the Thunder (3-1) with eight minutes to go in the first frame (21-19). Trine answered right back with a 9-2 stretch that led them to a 36-31 halftime advantage.

Both sides took runs at each other in the second half, as Coach Brad Nadborne's squad stayed right with its opponent. MU trailed only 45-43 with just under 15 minutes to go. Trine took off on a 9-0 run to build a double-digit cushion, but the Black and Gold responded with an eight-point roll of its own to make it 54-51. From that point, Trine scored seven straight to stretch its margin to 10 points, and the Spartans (3-2) couldn't close within less than seven in the final seven minutes.

The Black and Gold return to action Tuesday, Nov. 27, when they host MIAA member Calvin with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff inside Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.

NOTES: The Spartans go into the game with the Knights Tuesday having a run of four successive games in which they've had three-or-more players in double figures in scoring. … Flores has a run of four straight double-figure scoring games in tow. … Senior forward David House (Elkhart, Ind.) narrowly missed a second straight double-double with nine points and eight rebounds.