MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat College men's basketball team was back on the court inside McAlister Gymnasium Thursday night to take on the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs. The Cavaliers secured a significant Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) victory, defeating the visitors by a final score of 97-87. As a result of the matchup, the Cavs improved to 14-10 overall (9-7 AAC), and TWU slid to 10-10 (9-7 AAC) on the year.
The first half started out in favor of the away side, who held the lead for most of the early stages. It wasn't until Amare Elshoush hit his second 3-pointer in a row that Montreat was able to secure its first edge on the scoreboard (15-14). Then, after nearly three minutes of good defense for both teams, RJ Manginello broke the drought for the Cavaliers with a jumper.
Down the stretch of the initial frame, neither team could hold the lead for very long. With just over six minutes left to play in the first, Lawrence Cole hit a shot from deep to give the Cavs their biggest edge of the half (33-27). Tennessee Wesleyan didn't go away, though, as it came back to tie the score at 34-34 with 2:21 to play. Despite a last-minute bucket from the Bulldogs, a layup from Jace Ramirez and a 3-pointer from Manginello proved to be enough to keep Montreat out front, 39-36, heading into halftime.
The second period opened up much better for the Cavaliers. An 8-0 run that was polished off by an Aden Taylor 3-pointer gave the hosts a 47-38 advantage only 90 seconds into the frame. The Cavs held the edge for the majority of the second half, utilizing shots from beyond the arc and efficient free-throw shooting to remain in front. However, TWU refused to let Montreat pull away, even tying the game at multiple points throughout the half.
At the 8:30 mark, the hosts no longer held the lead, as an and-one put the Bulldogs ahead, 66-65. From that point on, the league clash was a back-and-forth battle for the win. A huge momentum shift came with just over five minutes left to play when Owen Stewart grabbed steals on back-to-back defensive possessions, both of which the Cavaliers turned into scores. The thefts and capped off an 8-0 spurt that put the hosts in front by eight (80-72). Riding the sudden momentum, the Cavs were able to close out the final 5:10 and capture an 97-87 win.
"Getting a sweep in our league is a big deal," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "It's a little more special when it's against Tennessee Wesleyan."
Montreat finished the night shooting 42.9 percent from the field (27-63 FG) and 37.0 percent from deep (10-27 3-pt FG). Defensively, the hosts held TWU to shooting 50.0 percent overall (28-56 FG) and 29.2 percent from three (7-24 3-pt FG). While the Bulldogs held the edge in rebounds (31-27), the Cavaliers possessed advantages in points off turnovers (23-13), assists (10-9) and steals (7-3).
Manginello paced all players with 24 points, converting 11-of-12 free throws and making three 3-pointers. Stewart contributed 13 points and collected a team-leading seven rebounds, while also matching his season best in steals with three. Cole added 13 points and four rebounds, successfully converting 4-of-5 free throws. Elshoush scored 11 points, making three triples. Taylor rounded out the double-digit scoring with 13 points.
Looking ahead, Montreat will host Bluefield University on Saturday, Feb. 14. The game is set to take place at 4 p.m. in Montreat, N.C.
