MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat men's basketball team hosted the Bluefield University Rams on Monday night, the first of a three-game homestand to close out the regular season. On Monday, the Cavaliers utilized a bombardment of 3-pointers to glide past the Rams, 90-77, all while improving to 18-7 overall and 16-6 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).
 
Bluefield (15-11, 13-9 AAC) and Montreat played the first 11 minutes of the matchup in a tightly-contested manner. Both sides started the game shooting well, with the Rams hitting four of their first five looks from the floor, while the Cavs made three of their first five shots. Neither side could get the edge early on, with Montreat holding the largest lead at three points on three separate occasions. The first 10 minutes of the ball game featured four ties and eight lead changes as the Rams clung to a 21-19 lead.
 
The first time either side started to gain separation on the other came thanks to the left hand of Tyler Rodrigue. The Orlando, Fla. native scored 14 consecutive points for Montreat over 2:09, including a stretch with three straight possessions in which he buried a triple. Meanwhile, Noah Dunn, the Cavs' leading scorer, assisted Rodrigue on four of his makes during the 14-point span. Rodrigue (7-10 FG, 5-7 3-PT FG) led all scorers in the first half with 19 points, and he pushed Montreat out to its own double-digit lead of the frame at 33-23.
 
Bluefield, who shot 40.0 percent (12-30 FG) in the half, survived the Rodrigue barrage and kept within arm's length of the Cavs as the first frame wound down; however, with the Rams trailing by just six points (40-34) with 2:34 left, Mike Flenory and Noah Dunn helped close the period with a few buckets, pushing the Cavaliers' halftime edge out to 45-36. Dunn ended the frame with 11 points.
 
Montreat shot an efficient 51.5 percent (17-33 FG) from the field in the opening half, assisting on 12 of its made baskets. The Cavaliers also made 42.1 percent (8-19 3-PT FG) of its attempts from deep compared to Bluefield's 30.8 percent (4-13 3-PT FG). Montreat also took better care of the basketball, turning the ball over three fewer times (8-5) while converting those turnovers into 12 points. Bluefield's eight makes on 10 free throw tries kept the Rams within single digits at the half.
 
The second half featured a 3-point shooting clinic between the Cavs and Rams. The two sides combined for 11 made triples on 21 total takes through the 9:48 mark of the frame, with Montreat responsible for seven of those buckets. Despite the hot shooting from both teams, the Cavaliers continued to lead by 10-plus points from their first bucket of the half onward.
 
With the Cavs holding a 78-68 lead and 5:28 remaining, Dunn and Eli Idlett buried a trio of shots from behind the arc. The 9-0 Montreat run over the course of 3:26 built a lead that Bluefield couldn't overcome, and the Cavs saw out an important home victory, 90-77. The win also moved the Cavaliers to 9-1 inside the friendly confines of McAlister Gymnasium.
 
"It was nice to get back to McAlister Gym and play on our home court," said head coach Garrett Jones. "The guys really set the tone early and were locked in on the defensive end."
 
Dunn (11-15 FG, 5-7 3-PT FG) ended the contest as Montreat's leading scorer and passer with 29 points and a career-high seven assists. He also hauled in seven rebounds. Rodrigue finished the night with 24 points, and Idlett added 10. Flenory contributed nine points and eight rebounds, which paced the Cavaliers.
 
Montreat significantly outshot Bluefield from the field and behind the arc Monday night, connecting on 50.0 percent (33-66 FG) of its shots overall and 47.4 percent (18-38 3-PT FG) of its 3-point takes. The Cavaliers 18-made 3-pointers tied the program's high for the most made triples in a single game in the last 18 seasons. Meanwhile, the Rams shot 42.6 percent (29-68 FG) from the floor and 29.6 percent (8-27 3-PT FG) from deep. The Cavaliers gained a sizable advantage from points off turnovers (22-7) as well.
 
"I'm really proud of this group for continuing to battle through all the adversity we've experienced this year," Jones added. "We will rest up and get ready for a great CIU team on Wednesday."
 
The Montreat men's basketball team continues its three-game homestand on Wednesday night against Columbia International University. Tipoff is expected at approximately 7:30 p.m.