WEST POINT, Ga.— Jarden Maze provided a massive spark off the bench Saturday afternoon in West Point, Ga. as the Cavalier newcomer notched the first double-double of his collegiate career during the Montreat men's basketball team's 59-53 win over the Point University Skyhawks. With the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) victory, the Cavs improved to 2-2 (2-1 AAC).
 
Collin Mills got the Cavaliers started off with a 5-0 lead just 1:35 into the contest after drilling a step-back 3-pointer and a baseline jumper. The Skyhawks answered with a pair of 5-0 spurts, however, but a Jamiel Wright triple and a Mike Flenory dunk helped offset those brief scoring stretches to see the ballgame tied at 10-10 midway through the half.
 
Bench scoring proved critical for the Cavs in the opening frame as the Montreat offense started to slow. To cancel out Point's first-half shooting edge (40.0 percent-30.3 percent), the Cavaliers utilized 15 bench points, including a first-half-leading nine points from Maze, to remain within a possession of the Skyhawks at the break (31-28). An 8-2 assists edge aided the hosts in finding good looks from the field, which contributed to their better shooting percentage.
 
Wright and Maze led the Cavalier charge to start the second half as the duo went on a 10-0 run in the initial 3:25 of the period to hand Montreat the game's only 3-possession lead (38-31). Despite facing the competition's largest deficit, Point managed to erase its 7-point hole and move in front quickly. Behind a 10-2 run over 3:18, the Skyhawks inched ahead of the Cavaliers, 41-40.
 
Tyler Murray, who scored seven of Montreat's 36 bench points, rattled off two free throws and the Cavaliers' lone 3-point bucket of the half in response to the Skyhawks' run. Up 45-41 with 11:13 remaining in regulation, the Cavs nearly held onto the lead for the rest of the night.
 
Point (1-4, 1-2 AAC) seized its final edge of the night on a free throw with 5:10 left in the ballgame (48-47). From there, Maze took over by scoring the next six points, all on baskets at the rim. Gabriel Rivera added a free throw and a 2-point bucket to put Montreat in the driver's seat, 56-50, with just 2:02 remaining in the game. Late free throws iced the contest in the Cavaliers' favor as they claimed a 59-53 triumph in their first road game on the season.
 
"I'm really proud of our guys today," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "We didn't shoot the ball well and didn't execute at a high level offensively, but in a game where toughness was tested by both teams, we showed a different type of toughness. Defensively, we were awesome. When we needed a stop, we got one. When we needed a rebound, we got one. We showed today that we can win games in the 90s and win games in the 50s and 60s. There is a lot of value in that."
 
Both teams struggled from the field, as the Cavs made just 30.0 percent (18-60 FG) of their overall looks and 26.3 percent (5-19 3pt FG) of their 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Skyhawks connected on 30.6 percent (19-62 FG) of their shots and 21.7 percent (5-23 3pt FG) of their triples. The largest difference between the two sides came from the free throw line and off the bench. Montreat owned an 18-10 edge in made free throws and a 36-23 advantage in points off the bench.
 
Maze led all players with 22 points and hauled in a career-high 13 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double. Meanwhile, Wright contributed 15 points and four boards. Rivera added seven points and seven rebounds off the bench as 36 of the Cavaliers' 59 points came from bench players.
 
The Montreat men's basketball team plays an exhibition contest against Lenoir-Rhyne University, an NCAA Division II institution, for its next game action on Monday. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in Hickory, N.C.