CLEVELAND, Ga.— After moving into first place in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) standings following its big road win at Union College on Thursday, the Montreat men's basketball team faced another stiff road test on Saturday afternoon against the Truett McConnell University Bears. Despite a quick start, the Cavaliers fell to the Bears by a 76-69 score line, dropping Montreat to 15-6 (13-5 AAC) on the season.
 
After TMU scored the opening three points of the contest, the Cavaliers responded with a 14-2 run thanks to baskets from Djongo-Alan Tchatchouang, Jalen Roberson, Tyler Rodrigue and Jamiel Wright. An additional pair of Noah Dunn free throws meant five different Cavaliers added to the nine-point Montreat edge (14-5) through six minutes of play.
 
Truett McConnell (17-8, 13-7 AAC), a team known for its post play and paint presence, didn't falter despite facing the early deficit. Utilizing a few dunks and a tip-in, the Bears started to chip away at the gap. Over 6:24, the Bears defense held the Cavaliers in check, sparking an 12-3 spurt to retake a one-point lead (23-22).
 
The two teams played an evenly matched final six minutes of the opening half trading buckets and trips to the free throw line all the way to the half's closing whistle. Montreat and Truett McConnell entered the intermission in a deadlock at 34.
 
While TMU held the edge in field goal shooting percentage in the opening half (44.4 percent-33.3 percent), the Cavaliers free throw shooting (85.7 percent, 12-14 FT) kept things tight in the first frame. Dunn, who led the Cavs with nine points through 20 minutes of game action, went 7-of-8 at the charity stripe. Wright added eight points, while Roberson had seven points at the half.
 
The Cavaliers remained within arm's length of Truett McConnell early in the second half, but the Bears had control of the game's pace and feel. TMU held onto slim leads throughout the first nine minutes of the second half, leading by as many as five on two occasions. Montreat took its first lead of the second half on a Wright and-one conversion at the 10:53 mark, inching the Cavs ahead, 53-51.
 
Both sides seemingly played to a stalemate for the next seven minutes. It wasn't until the score was knotted at 62 with under four minutes remaining in regulation that TMU's paint presence and aggression turned the tide for good.
 
In a half in which neither side led by more than two possessions until 68 seconds remained, it was the Bears who earned repeated trips to the free throw line to help pull away. Twelve of Truett McConnell's final 14 points came at the free throw line, and the Cavaliers couldn't keep up with that production from the field. As the clock reflected zeroes and the score showed 76-69, the Bears claimed their ninth-consecutive win and handed the Cavaliers just their second loss in their last 10 games played.
 
Truett McConnell ended the day with sizable advantages in shooting (43.6 percent-35.5 percent), free throw makes (24-16), second-chance points (16-8) and points in the paint (36-24). Montreat did hold an edge in made 3-pointers (9-4) and points off turnovers (24-13).
 
Wright led Montreat in scoring for the first time this season, pouring in a Montreat career-high of 22 points. Dunn recorded 19 points, six rebounds and three assists in the defeat, while Mike Flenory added a team-high seven rebounds.
 
The Montreat men's basketball team continues its current four-game road trip with a stop in Grayson, Ky. on Tuesday. Tipoff between the Cavaliers and Kentucky Christian University Knights is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.