MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat men's basketball team hosted the Reinhardt University Eagles in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action Wednesday night as the Cavaliers took to the court for the first time since Thanksgiving. Despite the layoff, Montreat proved to be fresh and efficient as the hosts achieved season highs in scoring and shooting on their way to a 97-81 victory. With their third straight win, the Cavs improved to 4-3 (3-2 AAC) on the year.
 
Reinhardt (3-6, 2-4 AAC) buried a triple on its opening possession of the first half, but Montreat dominated the frame from there thanks to its 3-point barrage and a 20-point half from Michael Erbeck.
 
Erbeck drained a shot from beyond the arc and paired it with a steal and a layup to swiftly take a 5-3 lead, one the home team never relinquished the rest of the way. Tyler Murray joined in on the fun from deep, and Erbeck capped off an 11-0 run with his third long-range basket just 3:04 into the contest.
 
While the Eagles trimmed the gap to 11-8 over the next few trips down the floor, another Erbeck 3-pointer jump-started a 10-3 spurt in which Gabriel Rivera and CamRon Sias transition layups pushed the home team's advantage out to 10 points (21-11).
 
With Reinhardt unable to pull within a possession from that point on, Montreat's offensive assault ultimately expanded the lead out to 21 prior to halftime. Erbeck, Murray and Collin Mills continued to connect from deep, and Jamiel Wright added a floater in the half's closing seconds to build a 53-32 lead heading into the intermission.
 
The Cavaliers pieced together one of their best shooting halves of the season during the initial frame. Not only did Montreat make 55.9 percent (19-34 FG) of its overall looks, as well as 52.4 percent (11-21 3-pt FG) of its attempts from deep, but it also made more than twice as many shots as the visiting Eagles (19-8). Reinhardt connected on just 28.6 percent (8-28 FG) of its field goals, and the Cavs owned significant edges in rebounding (24-11) and points off turnovers (15-4) through 20 minutes of action. Erbeck led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including a 6-for-7 showing from beyond the arc.
 
Montreat's 3-point makes didn't slow down as play resumed with the second half. A trio of Erbeck and Wright triples coupled with two technical free throws from Murray vaulted the Cavaliers out to a 66-38 lead merely 4:48 into the period.
 
Jack Keller aided Montreat in grabbing the largest lead of the night when his steal and outlet pass to Sias resulted in an emphatic fast break dunk. A native of Houston, Texas, Keller deposited a layup on the following possession as the Cavs seized a 32-point (79-47) advantage with 10:30 remaining in regulation.
 
Reinhardt closed the game well despite missing 17 consecutive 3-point tries across the first and second halves. A 14-3 run whittled the hosts' lead to 85-65 with 5:48 left, and the Eagles closed within 15 points on two separate occasions; however, the damage was already done. Behind a season-high 97 points and a season-best 17 made 3-point baskets, the Cavaliers captured a resounding 97-81 win over the visitors.
 
"It always helps when you shoot as efficiently as we did tonight," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "Reinhardt is a good team, and I really liked the energy and concerted effort we brought on both ends of the floor. We hope to build on this performance and carry it with us on the road heading into this weekend."
 
Montreat's efficiency from the floor continued in the second half. As a result, the Cavs ended the evening at 52.2 percent overall (35-67 FG) and 51.5 percent from deep (17-31 3-pt FG), both season bests. On the other side, Reinhardt converted on 22 of its 59 field goal attempts (37.3 percent) and 20.0 percent (7-35 3-pt FG) of its efforts from beyond the arc. The Eagles' 30-for-36 showing at the free-throw line (83.3 percent) kept the final scoring gap at just 16 points.
 
Five different Cavaliers finished the night with double-digit point totals, led by Erbeck's 25. Wright (18 points), Mills (16 points), Keller (12 points) and Murray (12 points) also poured in double figures. Erbeck paced all participants with eight rebounds, while Murray and Mills each hauled in six boards. Mills also tied for a game-best with four assists.
 
The Montreat men's basketball team continues conference play on Saturday when it squares off against the Truett McConnell University Bears. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in Cleveland, Ga.