CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio— Montreat's men's basketball team played game number two in its trip to the Buckeye State Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers faced the Ohio Christian University Trailblazers. After upsetting No. 23 Rio Grande the day before, Montreat fell to OCU by a score of 90-76.
 
The start of this cross-country battle was knotted up early. Through the first 12 minutes of the initial half, the largest lead by either team was five points. The Cavaliers kept fighting to be within striking distance of the Trailblazers. Big triples from Jarden Maze and Jack Keller helped Montreat stay within one point at the break as they trailed 42-41.
 
The second half got the better of the Cavs down the stretch, but it was no less exciting. RJ Manginello tallied four assists in the half, and AJ Baskerville totaled seven rebounds as well. Although the Cavs never took the lead back in the frame, they were able to stay within 10 points or less until the last six minutes of the game.
 
In the loss, the Cavaliers had four double-digit scorers. Maze and Baskerville had 18 and 15 points, leading the way for the Cavs. Keller and Manginello each had 11 to round out the scoring. The four Cavs were the only ones on the team to knock down a 3-pointer during the contest. Baskerville led the rebounding category with 13 on the night, giving him a double-double. It was Manginello that led with six assists.
 
Altogether, the Cavs had less turnovers (9-7), more points from turnovers (6-4) and more second chance points (16-10) than their opponents. They shot 39.4 percent from the field (26-66 FG), a red-hot 42.3 percent from long range (11-26 3-pt FG) and 59.1 percent from the stripe (13-22 FT).
 
"They were better over 40 minutes than we were," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "They took advantage of our small lineup with their bigs, and we were not able to get enough stops in the second half specifically. We must do a better job of finishing plays and being able to overcome challenges quickly. Great learning lessons for us."
 
Montreat's last game of the 2024 calendar year will be an exhibition in Greenville, S.C. as Furman University will host the Cavaliers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.