KINGSPORT, Tenn.— Playing as the No. 6 seed in the 2024-25 WinWon AAC Men's Basketball Tournament, the Montreat men's basketball team squared off against the third-seeded Columbia International University Rams Thursday night in the bracket's quarterfinal round. CIU won the initial two matchups during the regular season, but the Cavaliers claimed the matchup that mattered most. Behind an 82-79 victory, the Cavs improved to 19-10 (12-8 AAC), and they secured a spot in the conference semifinals.
 
Montreat got off to a slow start, shooting just 1-for-9 while committing three turnovers. Meanwhile, Columbia International (19-7, 14-6 AAC) grabbed four offensive rebounds in the early going, and it seized a 12-4 lead 6:37 into the matchup.
 
An 11-3 spurt brought the Cavs level with the Rams. Lawrence Cole sank a triple, while Jarden Maze, Jack Keller and AJ Baskerville added baskets to even the showdown at 15-15 midway through the initial period. Baskerville later handed Montreat its first lead of the night, 20-19, with 7:35 left prior to halftime.
 
CIU regained control with an 8-0 run, but the lead was short-lived. Keller drained a 3-pointer off a steal with 1:41 remaining, beginning a sequence of three late lead changes. RJ Manginello's bucket on Montreat's final true possession of the opening period gave the designated guests on the scoreboard a 34-33 halftime advantage.
 
Keller poured in the Cavaliers' first eight points of the second half, pushing his squad out to a 42-37 edge merely three minutes after play resumed. Baskerville contributed a 3-pointer of his own, and Keller followed up Manginello's and-one with another triple to put Montreat on top, 57-49, with 12:50 remaining in regulation.
 
It took nearly 35 minutes for either side to establish a double-digit advantage over the other. Baskerville changed that fact with another make from beyond the arc, this time handing the Cavs a 71-60 lead with 5:34 to go.
 
The Rams threatened with a swift 7-0 response, but Montreat's defense turned up its intensity over the ensuing three minutes. Baskerville capped off a 10-3 span over three minutes that rebuilt the Cavaliers' 11-point lead at 81-70 with 61 seconds left. While Montreat missed five free throws down the stretch, CIU didn't have enough time to close the gap. In the end, the Cavs walked away with an 82-79 postseason triumph.

"First off, CIU is one heck of a team," said assistant coach Ben McCrickard. "It's always a battle facing them. I'm really proud of our guys and staff for stepping up to the plate with AB being out. It was a total team effort. Excited to play again on Friday and prepare for Milligan."
 
Montreat got the better of Columbia International in the shooting department. The Cavaliers went 29-for-63 overall (46.0 percent) and 10-for-24 from deep (41.7 percent). Meanwhile, the Rams shot 42.9 percent from the field (27-63 FG) and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc (5-21 3-pt FG). CIU hauled in more rebounds (43-35), but the Cavs committed fewer turnovers (13-8) and scored twice as many points off turnovers (20-10).
 
Keller led all scorers with 27 points as he nailed five of his eight 3-point tries. Manginello (17 points), Baskerville (16 points) and Maze (13 points) also reached double figures in scoring. Baskerville corralled a game-high 10 boards for his 14^th double-double of the year. Maze paced his squad with four assists.
 
Montreat advances to the semifinal round of the WinWon AAC Men's Basketball Tournament on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. inside the Marriott MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn.