MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat men's basketball team hosted the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs in a battle for the second slot in the current Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) standings. In a thrilling contest that came down to the buzzer, the Cavaliers left McAlister Gymnasium as the victors, 90-88. The victory gave the Cavaliers their seventh win in their last eight games and improved their season record to 14-5 (12-4 AAC).
 
Tennessee Wesleyan (14-7, 11-6 AAC) jumped out to the early edge on the hosts, scoring seven of the contest's opening 10 points. The Cavaliers' lone points through two-and-a-half minutes came on a Noah Dunn three-point play. Montreat struggled to take care of the basketball through the first half of the initial frame, turning the ball over 11 times in 11:38; however, the Cavs didn't commit a turnover the remainder of the half, and the difference was evident.
 
Eli Idlett gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the game on a dribble-drive move straight to the basket. Jaylan Shelton, Dunn and Idlett added a few more buckets at the rim, capping off a 12-2 run that put Montreat up by 10 points (25-15) with just 6:11 remaining in the half.
 
The Bulldogs, who had hit just one 3-pointer over 14 minutes of game action, started to get hot from behind the arc. In only 2:48, the Bulldogs connected on five triples to completely erase their deficit and tie the contest at 32. TWU then used its momentum to retake the lead, adding a few free throws to go up 38-35 late. Dunn, who led the Cavs with 10 points in the first half, buried a 3-pointer from 26-feet to once again tie the game heading into halftime.
 
In a half that featured five ties and six lead changes, both sides were similar statistically. Montreat shot 45.7 percent (16-35 FG) from the floor and 22.2 percent (4-18 3pt FG) from 3-point range, while Tennessee Wesleyan connected on 42.9 percent (15-35) of its takes from the field and 35.3 percent (6-17 3pt FG) of its triples. Both sides made two free throws in the period. Mike Flenory led the Cavalier charge on the glass with seven first-half rebounds.
 
The second half very much followed the script of the first frame, with both sides trading buckets and mini runs as they jockeyed for pole position. The first real separation between the two sides came with about eight minutes left in regulation. Trailing 71-70, Dunn and Tyler Rodrigue converted 3-point attempts to lead by five (76-71), the first time in the second half in which either side held a lead greater than four points. After a Dunn free throw, his block on the defensive end spurred a fastbreak layup for Shelton, capping off a 9-0 run that put the Cavs up 79-71.
 
Despite facing its largest deficit since 25-17 with 5:40 left in the first half, the Bulldogs weren't finished. Utilizing a few quick baskets and two 3-pointers, Tennessee Wesleyan went on a 10-3 spurt to whittle the Montreat lead down to just one, 84-83.
 
Sam Brown converted a crucial bucket in the paint to put the Cavaliers up 88-85 with a mere 92 seconds left in regulation. A pair of Idlett and Dunn free throws were just enough down the stretch to withstand a late TWU triple and a halfcourt heave that struck the front of the rim. As the ball bounced away from the hoop, the Cavaliers and their fans let out a cheer. Montreat claimed the victory inside McAlister Gymnasium, 90-88.
 
"This was a hard-fought conference game. Tennessee Wesleyan is extremely talented, and their coach does a great job leading them," said head coach Garrett Jones. "We really had to fight and battle to earn that win, and I'm proud of the guys for finding a way to pull that one out."
 
Both teams shot efficiently from the floor, with the Cavaliers converting on 35 of their 71 field goal attempts (49.3 percent), and the Bulldogs making 48.5 percent of their shots (32-66 FG). The same consistency was harder to find behind the arc, as TWU hit 10 of its 27 3-pointers (37.0 percent) compared to Montreat's 30.0 percent (9-30 3pt FG).
 
Dunn paced all players with 31 points and eight rebounds on the night. Twenty-one of his 31 points came in the second half of play. Shelton tallied a career-high 17 points, while Idlett added a season-high 16 points. Rodrigue was the fourth Cavalier to reach double figures in scoring with 10 points, and both he and Flenory hauled in seven boards.
 
The Montreat men's basketball team meets up with the Union College Bulldogs on Thursday for its next scheduled contest. Tipoff is set to follow the women's contest at approximately 7:30 p.m. in Barbourville, Ky.