BLUEFIELD, Va.— The Montreat College men's basketball team went on the road to take on the Bluefield University Rams. The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup took place on Saturday, with the Cavaliers coming away with a narrow 65-63 victory. The Cavs' win extended their current road winning streak to four. As a result of the contest, Montreat improved to 6-4 (3-2 AAC) on the year while the Rams fell to 1-9 (1-4 AAC).
The Cavaliers began the first half with a quick start, highlighted by Owen Galeota's early 3-pointer with Caleb Moore on the assist. The team maintained momentum by scoring effectively inside the paint and converting free throws, resulting in two brief leads early on. Dyllan Barnwell contributed significantly as well. Coming off the bench, he added crucial points in the paint and secured key rebounds.
Despite Montreat's efforts, Bluefield matched the intensity, bringing the score to a tie multiple times throughout the half. The Cavaliers' largest lead of six points came with four minutes left to play following a triple from Lawrence Cole (27-21). The Rams responded by hitting two 3-pointers of their own in the closing minutes to bring the first half scoreline to a 30-30 close.
As the second half got underway, it was marked by a significant momentum shift early on. Barnwell opened with a layup, assisted by Aden Taylor, setting the tone. A pair of 3-pointers from Taylor and Zeke Bullington then helped the Cavs claim a 38-34 lead. BU refused to go away, though, as it reclaimed the lead multiple times down the stretch. A clutch shot from deep by Amare Elshoush gave the visitors a narrow 49-46 edge as they reached the midway point of the second period.
In the closing stages of the second half, the game featured tense back-and-forth action. The contest came to a 59-59 tie with just over four minutes left to play. That's when Barnwell went on to score five of the team's final six points, coming up huge for the Cavaliers as the clock ticked down. A late free throw from Taylor in the final seconds was enough to secure the 65-63 victory for Montreat.
"We didn't have our best stuff, and credit to Bluefield for some of that," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "But, players make plays, and we got baskets and stops when we needed to get them."
The Cavs shot 38.1 percent from the field (24-63 FG) and 23.1 percent from deep (6-26 3-pt FG). Defensively, the Cavaliers held the hosts' to 38.2 percent overall (21-55 FG) and 20.8 percent from three (5-24 3-pt FG). Bluefield held narrow advantages in rebounds (45-41) and assists (11-10). Montreat was able to win the turnover battle (9-6).
Barnwell led the team with a season-high 17 points while recording nine rebounds. The Weaverville, N.C. native showcased some efficiency as well by converting six of his eight tries from the field. Cole added to the scoring with 14 points and contributed three assists. Taylor finished with 13 points, hitting five of his 12 shot attempts, including two from beyond the arc. Owen Stewart contributed on the glass, collecting eight rebounds and scoring four points.
Looking ahead, the Cavaliers are set to host the Lions from Bryan College in an AAC matchup on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium in Montreat, N.C.
