MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat College men's basketball team picked up a crucial Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) win against the Columbia International University Rams on Wednesday night. The Cavaliers won with a final score of 82-73. Following the contest, the Cavs improved to 11-6 (7-3 AAC) on the year while CIU now stands at an 11-8 (6-5 AAC) record. 
 
Montreat opened the first half by quickly establishing a lead with successful scoring from the perimeter. Owen Stewart and Aden Taylor both contributed with a 3-pointer to help the Cavaliers maintain momentum. The Rams continued to keep the game close, but a triple from Amare Elshoush and some points in the paint from Stewart helped the Cavs gain a five-point lead (17-12) with a little over 11 minutes left to play in the frame.  
 
As the half progressed, CIU began to find some leads of its own, but continued scoring from both Taylor and Stewart ensured that the visitors didn't keep the advantage for very long. With the clock winding down in the period, it looked as though Montreat would be trailing heading into the break, but Zeke Bullington sank two critical free throws with four seconds left to tie the game. The first half concluded with the teams deadlocked at 33-33. 
 
Coming out of the intermission, the Cavaliers were quickly faced with a deficit as Columbia International sparked a 10-0 run to start the second half. A 3-pointer from Mike Wade snapped the run and helped give the Cavs some much-needed life. The deep ball became the difference maker in the Cavaliers' offense, as the next 15 points for Montreat all came from beyond the arc. The last of those makes came from Taylor at the 10:24 mark, which brought the Cavs within four of the Rams (55-51). 
 
The lead for the Cavaliers was just within reach, and a 3-pointer from Taylor with a little under seven minutes to play finally gave Montreat the edge it was looking for (61-59). From there, the momentum of the game shifted significantly, as the Cavs began to string together multiple scoring runs, combined with key defensive stops, to further extend their lead. Lawrence Cole posted 10 points in the final two-and-a-half minutes to help secure the win for the home team. The half ended with Montreat leading 82–73, outscoring Columbia International 49–40 in the second half. 
 
"The guys have taken ownership," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "They knew the assignment; they knew what was at stake. So, when CIU got up, they knew exactly what to do. It all comes back to our culture." 
 
On the night for the Cavaliers, they finished shooting 47.5 percent from the field (28-59 FG) and 37.9 percent from deep (11-29 3-pt FG). Defensively, they held the Rams to shooting 36.0 percent overall (27-75 FG) and kept them to only shooting 10.5 percent from 3-point range (2-19 3-pt FG). Columbia International came away holding advantages in rebounds (49-32) and steals (11-7). Meanwhile, Montreat possessed the edge in assists (18-14). 
 
Stewart led the team with a career-high 22 points and added six rebounds. Taylor, who reached the 1,000-career points milestone on the night, contributed 19 points and collected a season-high eight rebounds. Cole posted 19 points, including three 3-pointers, and grabbed a season-best six boards. Wade recorded a team-best five assists and seven points, rounding out the offense. 
 
In their next game, the Cavs will travel to Waleska, Ga. to face Reinhardt University on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 4 p.m.