KINGSPORT, Tenn.— Entering postseason play as the Appalachian Athletic Conference's (AAC) No. 9 seed, the Montreat men's basketball team squared off against the eighth-seeded Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs in the first round of the AAC Tournament. When the final buzzer sounded at the MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn., the Cavaliers fell on the wrong side of an 87-77 final, a result that ended their 2023-24 season with a 14-15 record.
 
RJ Manginello drained a 3-point look on the game's opening possession, and Michael Erbeck tacked on a triple of his own shortly thereafter to help snag an early 9-6 edge just 4:01 into the contest; however, the Bulldogs flipped the script during the ensuing minutes to capture the game's first double-digit lead.
 
Tennessee Wesleyan (12-14) made nine of its initial 15 shot attempts (60.0 percent), which enabled it to rattle off a 13-2 run and leapfrog the Cavaliers via a 23-11 lead midway through the first half. A Collin Mills jumper slowed the run, but the Bulldogs eventually pushed their advantage out to 13 points (28-15).
 
Montreat had a run of its own in store, which started with a CamRon Sias free throw. From there, the Cavs relied on the longball to power their 18-2 spurt over 3:36. Jack Keller and Jamiel Wright each drilled a pair of shots from beyond the arc, and Tyler Murray capped off the run with a 3-pointer to seize a 33-30 edge with 3:14 left in the frame. Murray connected on two additional triples down the stretch, but TWU matched the Cavaliers and scored a basket with 21 seconds left to enter the half level at 40-40.
 
Both teams shot roughly 43.0 percent from the field through 20 minutes, but Montreat had a significant advantage from beyond the arc thanks to a 45.0 percent (9-20 3-pt FG) showing. Tennessee Wesleyan made up for its lack of 3-point shooting with an 18-8 edge in paint scoring. Murray led all players with 11 points prior to the intermission.
 
Keller, Wright and Murray contributed to a speedy 10-0 Montreat run, and the Cavs held the Bulldogs scoreless for 4:29 as they moved ahead of the designated home team, 52-42, a little over five minutes into the second half. TWU answered with a 6-0 stretch, but a trio of Erbeck 3-pointers restored the 10-point lead (63-53) with 9:15 remaining in regulation.
 
With its back against the wall, Tennessee Wesleyan made one final push, and it kept its season alive. A 10-0 spurt across 2:09 knotted the score at 63, and an 8-0 run handed the Bulldogs their first lead of the second half.
 
Suddenly trailing 76-72 with 3:12 left, Wright drained a look from beyond the arc and a floater to keep Montreat within a possession. Despite Wright's best efforts, TWU salted the game away at the free-throw line. The Bulldogs scored the contest's final seven points, and they advanced to the quarterfinal round with an 87-77 victory.
 
"Hate to finish the year like that," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "I thought we controlled much of the game, but down the stretch, we began to foul and allowed them to crawl back into it with the clock stopped. Tip your cap to TWU—they made plays when plays needed to be made."
 
After shooting 52.0 percent in the second, Tennessee Wesleyan finished the game at 46.7 percent (28-60 FG) overall, 36.4 percent (8-22 3-pt FG) from deep and 67.6 percent (23-34 FT) from the charity stripe. On the other side, the Cavaliers matched their season-high in made 3-point baskets (17) as they went 17-for-38 (44.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Montreat also converted 41.5 percent (27-65 FG) of its overall shot attempts into points, as well as six of its 10 looks at the free-throw line. TWU closed out the matchup with edges in rebounds (41-35), second-chance points (17-10) and points in the paint (38-14).
 
Four Cavs scored in double figures as Wright led all players with 17 points. Murray (16), Keller (14) and Erbeck (12) also registered double-digit point totals. Wright paced Montreat with four assists, and Elochukwu Eze hauled in seven boards.
 
"I'm grateful for everyone who supported us this season through all our ups and downs," Barringer added.
 
Following the AAC Tournament defeat, the Montreat men's basketball team ends its 2023-24 season with a 14-15 record.