Despite a game-high 26-point effort by All-American Lateef Patrick, 23rd-seeded Trinidad State was eliminated from the 2025 National Junior College Athletic Association Men’s Division I Basketball Championships on Tuesday by falling 92-60 to seventh-seeded Trinity Valley of Athens, Texas.

The Trojans (19-14) never led in the contest as Trinity Valley (31-3) dominated the competition by forcing 18 turnovers that led to 21 Cardinal points while out-scoring TSC 52-32 in the point, winning the second chance point column by a 27-10 margin and out-rebounding the Colorado team 44-31 with 21 offensive caroms. BOX SCORE

Trinidad State, which posted an 83-75 opening win on Sunday over Pensacola State of Florida, entered Tuesday’s game by winning six straight contests and 10 of its last 11 starts.  The Trojans competed as the Region IX champion in their fourth-straight NJCAA hoopfest in Hutchinson.

Patrick, the nation’s third leading scorer (24.1 points per game), also led TSC in its opening Pensacola win with 33 points.  In his two seasons in Trinidad, Patrick averaged 20.7 points a game (1,369 points, 66 games).

In becoming the first coach to win four-straight regional championships, Mike Folda was completing his 15th season at the helm of the program in Trinidad.  He has posted a 236-199 record (54.3%) highlighted by an 85-52 mark (62.0%) the past four seasons.

Folda’s father (Joe) was the head men’s basketball coach at CSU Pueblo for 18 seasons and compiled a 314-196 record (61.6%) with the ThunderWolves.  Both Foldas played junior college basketball at Northeastern in Sterling, Colo.

The elder Folda finished his playing career (1963-1965) at Northern Colorado, where he led the Bears to two college division playoff berths in the NCAA.  Mike Folda completed his days at CSU Pueblo (2001-2003) playing for his father.