MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat men's basketball team fell into a sizable hole early against the Truett McConnell University Bears Tuesday night, but with a few clutch performances and gusty efforts late, the Cavaliers out-fought the Bears en route to a 67-62 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) win. Powered by the victory, the Cavs' record improved to 6-4 (5-3 AAC) on the year.
 
Truett McConnell (4-6, 4-5 AAC) forced the Cavs into tough looks from the floor midway through the contest, and it helped the Bears storm out to a double-digit lead. Montreat connected on a mere three of its first 24 shots from the field (12.5 percent) as the hosts trailed 24-9 through 13 minutes of action. Meanwhile, TMU hit at a 50.0 percent clip (10-20 FG) over the same span.
 
Tyler Murray, who scored eight of Montreat's initial 12 points, drained a 3-pointer to pull the Cavaliers a little closer at 24-12; however, the Bears held on to their double-digit lead until late in the frame.
 
As Truett McConnell cooled off on the offensive end, Jamiel Wright started to heat up. Wright converted a layup, a mid-range jumper and a triple over the final 90 seconds of the half to pull Montreat within single digits on three separate occasions. Thanks to Wright's flurry to finish the half, as well as 12 offensive rebounds and eight TMU turnovers, the Cavs trailed by just eight points at the break (32-24).
 
After going 10-for-20 from the field to start the game, Truett McConnell made just two of its final 10 looks, meaning the Bears shot 40.0 percent (12-30 FG) overall. TMU also went 3-of-9 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Montreat converted on 24.3 percent of its shots from floor (9-37 FG) and 25.0 percent of its triples (4-16 3-pt FG).
 
Wright led all scorers at the intermission with nine points, while Murray and Elochukwu Eze each hauled in six rebounds. Collin Mills and Jarden Maze recorded the Cavs' lone assists in the initial frame.
 
Motivated by a strong close to the previous half, Montreat proved to be the aggressor during the opening six minutes of the second frame. Wright, Eze, Mills and Michael Erbeck powered the hosts to a 15-3 run over 5:56, handing the Cavs their first lead of the night and then some (39-35). From there, both the Bears and the Cavaliers traded blows until the home side did just enough to snag victory late.
 
The Cavaliers trailed TMU by five points (56-51) with just 4:17 remaining in regulation, but Erbeck changed that quickly. Sparking a 12-0 run over 3:51, Erbeck poured in 10 points with a pair of shots from behind the arc and four free throws. The Newark, Ill. native flipped the contest in Montreat's favor, 63-56, and gave the hosts a lead they didn't relinquish. Truett McConnell made a late push and trimmed its deficit to 63-62 with 10 seconds left, but a Bears' turnover plus four Wright free throws sealed the deal as the Cavs bagged their second consecutive AAC win, 67-62.
 
"Talent, toughness, togetherness—we preach it on a daily basis, and we showed it tonight," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "We answered the call in the second half by getting paint touches that led to wide open shots. Our bench guys came in and also gave us such valuable minutes. Obviously, you want to win big, but our guys are getting battle-tested, and wins like this will pay dividends in January and February."
 
Montreat edged out TMU in field goal percentage as it went 23-for-65 (35.4 percent) overall compared to the Bears' 18-for-55 (32.7 percent) effort. The Cavaliers also shot an efficient 41.7 percent (10-24 3-pt FG) from deep, while Truett McConnell managed to connect on just six of its 20 looks from beyond the arc (30.0 percent). Despite only holding a 3-rebound advantage on the offensive glass (20-17), the Cavs made the most of their extra opportunities and out-muscled the Bears to a 21-10 edge in second-chance points.
 
Wright finished the night with a game-high 24 points and four steals, while Erbeck scored a career-high 13 points in the second half alone. Eze notched his first double-double as a Cavalier with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Murray wasn't far off with 10 points and eight boards. Chris Moore registered a team-high three assists.
 
The Montreat men's basketball team travels to Bluefield, Va. on Saturday for an AAC matchup with the Bluefield University Rams. Tipoff is slated for 4:00 p.m.