GREENVILLE, S.C.— Closing out its three-game road trip Friday evening, the Montreat men's basketball team went head-to-head with the Bob Jones University Bruins in a nonconference clash down in Greenville, S.C. In a game in which neither side led by more than five points, it was the Cavaliers who squeezed out another victory, 90-87, to improve to 3-0 and continue their unbeaten start to the season.
 
Montreat began the tightly-contested affair with the early upper hand. A pair of baskets each from Jeremyah McWilliams and RJ Manginello aided the visitors in seizing an 11-6 lead roughly six minutes into the matchup.
 
Fifteen free throws allowed Bob Jones (0-1) to take the lead and enter halftime with the edge on the scoreboard. The Bruins snagged their first advantage of the night (28-26) with under seven minutes remaining in the frame, and trips to the charity stripe ultimately accounted for one-third of the hosts' first-half points. Like the Cavs, BJU also built its lead to as large as five points (31-26), and it maintained a 45-42 edge at the break.
 
Manginello paced the away side with 12 points prior to the intermission, while Jack Keller contributed nine points. Seven different Cavaliers scored during the initial half.
 
Once again, McWilliams began the half aggressively, recording back-to-back baskets to put Montreat in front just one minute into the second period (46-45). That shift proved to be the first of nine lead changes during the frame as the two teams fought for control. Keller hit a series of 3-pointers, and both Manginello and Jarden Maze scored in and around the paint to combat any charge the Bruins attempted to muster.
 
While a Bob Jones dunk put the hosts ahead 76-74 with a little over five minutes left in regulation, there was one final lead change still in store. Maze sunk a pair of free throws to level the score before he converted a driving layup high off the glass for the 78-76 advantage.
 
Dyllan Barnwell notched buckets in the paint to cancel out BJU's final push, and a Keller jumper coupled with two late Manginello free throws sealed the deal. Montreat forced one final stop with merely two seconds left, and the Cavs kept their perfect record intact via a 90-87 triumph.
 
"Challenge accepted again," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "Tonight was the definition of a culture win. There is no quit in these dudes. It's fun to be a part of, honestly. They hold each other accountable. They speak life into each other. They challenge each other. That is a testament to the culture that we are building. They are taking ownership of this journey daily, and I'm excited to see what's in store for this group."
 
Keller poured in a team-best 20 points. Manginello registered a career-high 18 points, while Maze (16 points) and AJ Baskerville (10 points) also reached double figures in scoring. Baskerville also secured his second straight double-double thanks to a game-high 14 rebounds. The visitors ended the night with night different Cavaliers on the scoresheet.
 
Overall, Montreat shot 40.5 percent (30-74 FG) from the floor, 25.8 percent (8-31 3-pt FG) from deep and 75.9 percent (22-29 FT) at the line. Bob Jones went 26-for-47 (55.3 percent) from the field, 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) from beyond the arc and 33-for-48 (68.8 percent) at the stripe. The Cavs won the rebounding (40-26) and assists (16-6) battles comfortably.
 
Montreat plays its first home game of the 2024-25 season on Tuesday as the Cavaliers square off against the Spartanburg Methodist College Pioneers for the second time this year. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. at Shuford Arena on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C.