BARBOURVILLE, Ky.— The Montreat men's basketball team challenged the No. 9-ranked Union College Bulldogs in Barbourville, Ky. Tuesday night, but a big second half powered by 23 made free throws helped the hosts dispatch of the Cavaliers, 84-77. Following the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) defeat, the Cavs' record dropped to 10-7 (8-6 AAC) this season.
 
In a back-and-forth opening half that featured eight ties and nine lead changes, Union and Montreat spent the better part of 20 minutes fighting for an edge over the other. After 7:34 of game action, Union owned a slight 14-10 lead on the Cavaliers thanks to a 6-for-13 shooting display that featured two 3-pointers. Meanwhile, the Cavs scored their initial 10 points of the night inside the paint thanks in large part to trio of layups from Chris Moore.
 
Union (17-1, 15-0 AAC) looked like it had a chance to create some separation after two quick steals led to a pair of buckets and an 18-10 lead over the visitors; however, a well-spent timeout helped the Cavs settle down and answer. Jamiel Wright buried two 3-pointers over the next two Montreat possessions, while Gabriel Rivera made a pair of 2-point baskets and Mike Flenory contributed two free throws to hand the visitors a 22-21 lead with 8:34 left in the half.
 
A 5-point possession briefly saw the Bulldogs move back in front of the Cavs, 30-27, but Darius Bryant and Michael Erbeck connected from behind the arc in the closing minutes to ensure a 36-33 Montreat lead entering the half.
 
While Union started off shooting well from the field, a 6-for-27 close to the half left the Bulldogs shooting only 30.0 percent for the frame (12-40 FG). On the other side, the Cavaliers made 14 of their 33 shot attempts overall (42.4 percent). Each team converted on four 3-point tries, but the Cavs did so on just 13 efforts compared to the hosts' 21 shots from deep. Union did enter the half with advantages in turnovers forced (7-4) and offensive rebounds (9-6) to stay close with Montreat. Wright led the Cavs with nine points at the intermission while Moore added eight. Four different Cavaliers notched three rebounds each.
 
Moore's fourth layup of the evening gave Montreat its first multiple-score lead just 73 seconds into the second half (39-35); however, by scoring on five of its next seven possessions, Union retook the lead and seized a 46-41 edge after 4:12 of game action.
 
The Cavaliers remained aggressive and used that mindset to their advantage, capitalizing on four free throws and three layups to regain the lead at 51-50. But, like they did moments early, the Bulldogs were ready to rebound on their home floor. A dunk and a 4-point possession put the hosts back up by five (56-51), and a stretch where 13 of Union's ensuing 15 points came at the charity stripe increased that lead to 71-60.
 
Suddenly down by 11 with 5:42 left in regulation, the Cavs needed to act quickly. Flenory, Rivera and Wright went on an 8-0 run over 91 seconds to trim the Montreat deficit to 71-68, but Union responded with tough elbow jumper and a 3-point bucket to quell the late Cavalier momentum.
 
Having been so efficient at the free throw line all night, the Bulldogs managed to see out the contest over the closing minutes. Montreat committed 17 fouls in the second half, and Union capitalized with 23 made free throws to power its 84-77 triumph and remain undefeated in AAC play.
 
"Man, we are right there," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "If you would've told me that two of their top guys would score the bulk of their points from the free throw line, I would've laughed. You can't give up 17 offensive rebounds and expect to win basketball games. We really are there, though. I'm excited to see what the rest of this year looks like."
 
Union entered the night as the No. 3 rebounding team in the NAIA with 44.9 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs not only won the rebounding battle Tuesday night, 45-40, but they also hauled in 17 offensive boards to help cancel out some of their shooting woes—Union went 24-for-69 from the field (34.8 percent) and 8-for-38 from 3-point range (21.1 percent). The hosts also took advantage of their trips to the free throw line by making 28 of their 35 tries (80.0 percent). On the other side, the Cavaliers connected on 41.3 percent of their shot attempts (26-63 FG), 23.8 percent of their looks from deep (5-21 3-pt FG) and 62.5 percent of their free throws (20-32 FT).
 
Four Cavs scored in double figures, led by Wright's 17 points. Moore contributed his Cavalier career-high 16 points, Flenory added 13 and Rivera poured in 11 points. Maze grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in the defeat.
 
The Montreat men's basketball team opens a 3-game homestand this Saturday with an AAC clash against Columbia International University. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Montreat, N.C.