ASHEVILLE, N.C.— The Montreat men's basketball team began Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play Wednesday evening when it hosted the Columbia International University Rams inside Kimmel Arena on the campus of UNC Asheville. While the contest was tight throughout, the visitors never trailed as they held on to snag a 76-72 win and drop the Cavaliers to 5-2 (0-1 AAC) on the season.
 
Columbia International (4-0, 1-0 AAC) got off to a good start, registering 10 of the initial 13 points and building a 10-point lead (19-9) nearly nine minutes into the game. Dyllan Barnwell scored the Cavs' first eight points to stay within shouting distance as the offense tried to find its groove.
 
Jarden Maze and RJ Manginello combined for eight points during a 9-0 Montreat run that leveled the score at 27-27. A strong defensive effort saw the Rams notch just two points over the final 4:43, and the hosts trailed by only a point, 29-28, at the intermission.
 
Montreat shot just 22.2 percent (8-36 FG) in the first half and went 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. On the other side, CIU also had its own struggles, connecting on just 31.3 percent (10-32 FG) of its tries overall and 11.1 percent (1-9 3-pt FG) of its attempts from deep. Both teams found their offensive rhythm in the second half, though.
 
The Rams made 70.8 percent (17-24 FG) of their shots in the latter frame as they began the half on an 8-0 run across 2:46. AJ Baskerville drained the Cavaliers' first 3-pointer of the night roughly one minute later, but Columbia International answered and pushed its advantage out to double digits (45-35) 5:40 into the second period.
 
CIU seized its largest lead of the night, 64-51, with seven minutes remaining. Several Maze baskets, including a pair of dunks, gave the home side life down the stretch as it chipped away at its deficit.
 
Baskerville added a driving layup and a triple with 27 seconds left, slicing the gap to just one (73-72); however, the Rams connected on a trio of free throws late, and they sealed a 76-72 road victory over Montreat.
 
"I usually try and be optimistic when I approach postgame, but it's really difficult when we continue to get beat on the boards and make the same late-game mistakes," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "We are challenging our guys' toughness levels, and they will be tasked with responding in a way that puts us in a better position to win games. We will be better on Saturday."
 
Columbia International ended the night going 27-for-56 (48.2 percent) from the floor, 5-for-14 (35.7 percent) from deep and 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) at the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Montreat converted 35.6 percent (26-73 FG) of its overall tries, 19.0 percent (4-21 3-pt FG) of its attempts from deep and 66.7 percent (16-24 FT) of its takes at the charity stripe. The Cavaliers committed just three turnovers and owned a 12-2 edge in points off turnovers, but the visitors won the rebounding battle (45-39) and tallied more assists (13-10).
 
Maze led all scorers with 17 points, while Manginello and Barnwell contributed 16 and 13 points, respectively. Baskerville (11 points, 13 rebounds) recorded his fifth double-double of the year, and Elijah Carson poured in 10 points. Baskerville led all players with four steals, and Manginello paced the home team with three assists.
 
Montreat returns to Kimmel Arena on Saturday for more conference action, this time against Kentucky Christian University. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in Asheville, N.C.