MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat men's basketball team snapped its 6-game Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) losing skid Saturday afternoon when it charged past the visiting Bluefield University Rams en route to an 88-78 victory. With the triumph inside McAlister Gymnasium, the Cavaliers improved to 6-9 overall and 4-8 in conference play.
 
An efficient initial half of offense powered Montreat to a double-digit lead through 20 minutes of action. After missing their first two looks from the field, four different Cavs combined for six consecutive makes, including a trio of 3-point baskets, to seize a 15-12 edge on the Rams just 5:36 into the ballgame.
 
While the ensuing eight minutes of action featured one or two possession leads for the home team, the Cavaliers managed to blow the game wide open during the final 6:30. Collin Mills, CamRon Sias, Tyler Murray and Gabriel Rivera each poured in at least one bucket to spark a 12-2 run and the game's initial double-digit lead. Mills tacked on a late elbow jumper in the closing seconds as Montreat entered halftime in front, 42-29.
 
The Cavs owned a significant field-goal percentage advantage following the opening half. Playing on its home court, Montreat drained 48.6 percent (17-35 FG) of its overall shot attempts and six of its 12 looks from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the visiting Rams missed 16 of their final 19 tries from the floor, which resulted in a 34.2 percent showing overall (13-38 FG) and a 3-for-16 3-point effort (18.8 percent). On top of the shooting disparity, the hosts owned edges in points in the paint (18-6), rebounding (26-15), assists (10-4), second-chance points (15-4) and bench points (22-5). Eight Cavaliers notched a bucket in the first half as Mills paced the squad with 12 points. Dyllan Barnwell tallied a half-best seven rebounds, while Jamiel Wright totaled four assists.
 
Still riding the momentum as the second half commenced, Montreat swiftly recorded the frame's initial nine points over a 2:14 span, capturing the game's largest lead in the process (51-29). Rivera and Mills ultimately combined for the Cavs' first 13 points in the period, and the hosts maintained a 55-33 advantage less than four minutes into the half.
 
Facing a substantial deficit, Bluefield (4-11, 4-7 AAC) continued to battle and slowly chipped away at its deficit. With just 8:58 to go, the Rams whittled the gap to 65-51. Then, with 3:42 left, the visitors crawled all the way back within 10 points (73-63). BU trimmed the scoring disparity to 10 points on four occasions before finally pulling within single digits at 82-74; however, with less than a minute remaining on the clock, the effort proved to come too late. Jack Keller, Rivera and Mills each made multiple free throws, and the Cavaliers eventually got back into the win column with the 88-78 victory.
 
"This was a total team effort," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "We attacked the glass, took smart shots on offense and did what was needed to finish out the game. We still have plenty to work on, but this was a positive step in the right direction."
 
Montreat maintained its strong shooting performance both overall (34-72 FG; 47.2 percent) and from deep (9-23 3-pt FG; 39.1 percent). On the other side, Bluefield shot just 40.0 percent overall (32-80 FG) and 25.9 percent from behind the arc (7-27 3-pt FG). The Rams also made four fewer free throws than the Cavs (11-7) on the same number of attempts (15). Thanks to 18 offensive boards and a 56-37 rebounding edge, Montreat racked up 22 second-chance points. Montreat's bench also played a significant role in the victory, notching 40 of the squad's 88 points.
 
Mills led all scorers with 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting, including a 4-for-7 effort from 3-point range. The Asheville, N.C. native also registered five rebounds, three assists and a season-best two blocks. Rivera poured in 19 points while grabbing eight boards, and Keller contributed 14 points, four rebounds and three assists of his own. Barnwell collected a game-high 11 boards. In total, all 10 Cavs who appeared in the contest recorded a basket. Five Montreat athletes snagged at least five rebounds in the win, and five dished out multiple assists.
 
Back on the road for its next contest, the Montreat men's basketball team resumes AAC action on Wednesday when it travels to Laurinburg, N.C. for a 7:30 p.m. tip against the St. Andrews University Knights.