COLUMBIA, S.C.— Montreat College's men's basketball squad went on the road to play the Columbia International University Rams in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) game Wednesday evening. The Cavaliers beat the Rams 83-78 after the 40-minute battle on the hardwood. With the result, the Cavs moved to 3-3 (1-1 AAC) and the Rams fell to 4-4 (0-2 AAC) on the year.
 
Montreat started the first half with effective scoring, highlighted by Owen Stewart's successful layup and another from Aden Taylor, which contributed to an early back-and-forth exchange with CIU. Until the 14:42 mark in the half, the largest lead from both teams was just two points. This kept the tension palpable. The Rams gained some momentum midway through the half, but the away side converted a triple from Amare Elshoush and a layup from Lawrence Cole to cut the deficit to a five-point Columbia International lead.
 
After a Cole 3-pointer, Elshoush scored the next four points as Montreat gained momentum to the tune of a 15-0 run. As the opening frame came to a close, the visitors established a 36-28 advantage thanks to an RJ Manginello jumper and four points from Taylor. Montreat's perimeter defense held up as CIU did not make a single 3-pointer in the first half (0-7 3-pt FG).
 
Taylor didn't skip a beat during the intermission as he started out the second half with a block. On the ensuing play, Manginello's layup set the tone in the frame. Defensively, Caleb Moore's two steals on consecutive Ram possessions led to an 11-point edge for the Cavs at 16:11 (44-33). The half saw Montreat converting crucial free throws and executing fast breaks effectively, maintaining that lead.
 
As the period progressed, Montreat's offense was bolstered by a Zeke Bullington 3-pointer and a Dyllan Barnwell putback, extending its lead. Despite the Rams' attempts to close the gap, two Stewart slam dunks assisted by Taylor kept the visitors in control. The home team was forced to foul Montreat down the stretch, and the Cavaliers' 71.0 percent shooting from the stripe (22-31 FT) proved good enough to escort them to victory over CIU 83-78.
 
Manginello spearheaded the Cavalier attack, leading the team with 22 points, converting all six of his free-throw opportunities. Taylor scored 16 points and recorded seven rebounds. Stewart added 14 points and grabbed seven boards as well. Barnwell recorded his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Elshoush went 5-for-6 from the floor and secured 11 points on the day.

"Today was the first time I have won at CIU in my Montreat career," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "Tonight had a tournament-game feel and our guys rose to the occasion. We did a really good job sticking to the scout and executing the game plan. We will celebrate today and get back to it tomorrow as we prepare for Pikeville."
 
In back-to-back games, five Montreat players recorded double-digit points. The Cavaliers dispersed the points and did so with less assists than the Rams (13-8). Montreat shot exactly 50.0 percent from the floor as a team, the best since hosting Bob Jones University in the season opener. The Cavs went from converting 20 3-pointers in their previous game to just five. However, in every game this season, Montreat has shot at least 30.0 percent from downtown. The trend continued as the Cavaliers went 38.5 percent (5-13 3-pt FG) on 3-pointers in the AAC game. Montreat had more rebounds (35-28), second chance points (14-4), bench points (21-10) and points off turnovers (10-8) than Columbia International. 
 
The Cavs will host the (RV) University of Pikeville Bears in their next game. The conference clash is set for Saturday, Nov. 22, at 4 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium in Montreat, N.C.