COOKEVILLE, TENN.— In its first game against a NCAA Division I opponent since Dec. 16, 2017, the Montreat men's basketball team dropped an exhibition road decision against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. Since the matchup counted as an exhibition for the Cavaliers, the loss does not affect their season record.
 
After winning the opening tip, the Cavaliers battled on the offensive glass, earning three shots on their first possession of the contest. Those extra looks at the basket led to a Mike Flenory 3-pointer for the game's first points. The two sides traded buckets through the first seven minutes, with another Flenory triple putting the Cavaliers up 16-15 at the 12:55 mark.
 
From there, Tennessee Tech (3-8) asserted itself on its home court. Over the next five minutes of game action, the Golden Eagles went on a 20-2 run to grab one of their largest leads of the half, 35-18. Tyler Rodrigue and Eli Idlett answered with a pair of jumpers behind the arc to temporarily slow the TTU run, but the Golden Eagles found their groove on both ends of the floor. A 10-2 run moments later established Tennessee Tech's largest lead of the first half, 45-26.
 
The Cavaliers held their ground over the remaining five minutes but couldn't chip away at TTU's lead. Thus, Tennessee Tech headed into the halftime break up 55-38.
 
Montreat shot 45 percent (15-33 FG) from the field in the first half, and eight made 3-pointers kept the Cavaliers within shouting distance of Tennessee Tech; however, 12 Montreat turnovers translated to 16 points for the Golden Eagles. TTU had an efficient offensive showing in the opening half, making 64 percent (21-33 FG) of its takes from the floor, including six triples. Flenory led the Cavs with 10 points at the half, while Idlett and Rodrigue both added eight points.

"I really felt like we competed well for a good stretch of the first half and was proud of the guys for that," said head coach Garrett Jones. "Tennessee Tech has a really talented team and are well coached. They are much better than what their record shows right now."
 
Picking up right where they left off, the Golden Eagles started the second half with the old-fashioned three-point play. JaJa Davis and Flenory added a pair of two-point buckets in response, but Tennessee Tech had an answer of its own. Going on an extended run over 8:47, the Golden Eagles scored 31 of 38 points to blow the contest wide open, 89-49.
 
The Cavaliers struggled from the field in the second half, shooting 25 percent (8-32 FG) while connecting on just one of 12 3-point attempts. Tennessee Tech played aggressively on defense, often picking up the Cavaliers as they crossed midcourt. Montreat turned the ball over eight times in the second half for a game total of 20 turnovers, and the Golden Eagles utilized those extra possessions to the tune of 26 points.
 
TTU's depth challenged the Cavaliers, and the Golden Eagles continued to grow their lead until the final whistle, topping Montreat by a final score of 117-60.

"Tennessee Tech really separated in the second half, and give them credit, but our group still needs to learn what it takes to compete every possession. That will continue to be our focus moving forward," Jones added.
 
Overall, the Cavaliers shot 35 percent (23-65 FG) and hit nine of their 31 triples (29 percent). Tennessee Tech connected from the floor at a 60-percent clip (46-77 FG) and was an efficient 13-for-28 (46 percent) from downtown. Rodrigue led the Cavs in scoring with 13 points, while Flenory (12) and Davis (11) joined him in double figures. Davis also grabbed seven boards, and Noah Dunn tallied the most helpers for Montreat with three.
 
Montreat men's basketball returns to competition on Friday against Calvary University. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Greenville, S.C.