MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat College men's basketball team took on the Milligan University Buffaloes in a home Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup on Saturday. The Cavaliers scored a season-high in points en route to a dominant 105-84 victory over the Buffs. As a result of the contest, the Cavs improved to a 7-5 (4-3 AAC) record, while Milligan now sits at 3-8 overall (2-5 AAC).
The start of the first half was all Montreat as it quickly established a lead through effective scoring in the paint and from deep. Aden Taylor and Owen Galeota both hit an early 3-pointer to help the Cavaliers jump out ahead, 12-3. The Buffaloes didn't shy away, though, and they started to chip into the deficit via an 8-0 spurt. The Cavs responded by continuing to make their presence known down low, as 12 of their next 16 points came from inside the paint. Owen Stewart and Lawrence Cole found themselves with multiple baskets during the stretch.
With just over six minutes left to play in the half, Amare Elshoush's look from deep gave Montreat its first double-digit lead of the day at 31-21. The Cavaliers continued to expand their advantage as the first half of play came to a close. Cole scored the hosts' final seven points of the period, pushing the Cavs out to a 44-30 edge prior to the intermission.
Montreat did not let its already substantial lead stop it from maintaining offensive pressure on the Buffs as the second half got underway. Taylor and Stewart both connected on shots from beyond the arc within the first couple of minutes. The Cavaliers stuck with what succeeded in the first and got back to work in the paint. By the midpoint of the second frame, the Cavs had already scored 14 points down low. The scoring effort helped the home team hold a 75-60 lead.
Down the final stretch in the second half, Montreat never faltered in its momentum. In the last 10 minutes, the Cavaliers never saw their lead dip below double digits. With a minute to go, Stewart slammed one in to put the finishing touches on what was a dominant performance overall for the Cavs' offense. The game concluded with the hosts securing a 105-84 victory.
"We were able to take advantage of some mismatches on offense," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "Our guys made the right plays. The toughest team was going to win, and I feel like we set the tone for what the toughness was going to be. That's our culture, and culture wins."
Montreat shot an impressive 65.5 percent from the field (36-55 FG), which is the program's best mark since Nov. 10, 2015. The hosts were also lights out from deep, shooting 52.6 percent (10-19 3-pt FG). Defensively, the Cavs held Milligan to shooting just 35.7 percent overall (20-56 FG) and 28.6 percent from deep (8-28 3-pt FG). The Cavaliers were also able to hold the advantage in rebounds (36-27), assists (16-6) and steals (13-7).
Cole put up a career-high 23 points and collected four rebounds. Taylor also contributed 23 points and added seven boards. Stewart finished with 14 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field. Elshoush added 11 points, converting three 3-pointers out of four attempts. Mike Wade paced all players with a season-best four steals, and he matched Cole and Taylor with a trio of assists.
In their next game, the Cavaliers will host Carolina University on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. The matchup will take place at McAlister Gymnasium in Montreat, N.C.
