MONTREAT, N.C. — The Montreat College men's basketball team earned its first win of the season on Thursday evening, defeating Oglethorpe University 83-74 inside McAlister Gymnasium. The Cavaliers dominated the glass, outrebounding the Stormy Petrels 50-35 to help secure the victory. With the win, Montreat improved to 1-1 overall on the campaign.
After falling behind 3-0 early, the Cavs answered with an 8-0 run to take the lead. Lawrence Cole put Montreat in front 4-3 with a fastbreak layup at the 17:52 mark before Jacobi Simpson extended the margin to 8-3 with a pair of free throws. Amare Elshoush later connected from beyond the arc off an assist from Jace Ramirez, while Ricardo Gomez added a block as the hosts limited Oglethorpe's offensive opportunities.
The Cavaliers extended their advantage midway through the first half as Simpson and RJ Manginello each knocked down a triple prior to Manginello also adding two free throws. Owen Stewart capped the stretch with a layup, pushing the lead to 29-18 with just under six minutes remaining. Manginello closed the frame with a three-point play at the 29-second mark, sending the Cavs into the break ahead 41-29.
The visitors cut into the deficit early in the second half, but Montreat answered with baskets from Cole, Dyllan Barnwell and Stewart to maintain its cushion. Stewart added a triple during a back-and-forth stretch before the Cavaliers created some separation. With a 52-43 lead, the home team put together an 8-0 run to move ahead 60-43. Gomez started the surge with a 3-pointer, followed by a Ramirez layup and an Elshoush triple off an assist from Stewart.
The Stormy Petrels pulled within five at 67-62 with 7:53 remaining, but Stewart came up with a steal that set up Cole's fastbreak layup. Christian Sanders then made an impact on both ends, recording a block before hitting a transition 3-pointer and adding a dunk to help Montreat restore its double-digit lead, 76-65. Oglethorpe got within seven with just under three minutes left, but the Cavs maintained their advantage to close out the 83-74 win.
"Rebounding is something that we emphasize," said Head Coach Anthony Barringer. "We tag rebound, and we tell our guys if you buy in to tagging, we will win the rebound battle most nights. If you shoot it as poorly as we did tonight, that is the difference in the game, getting those second chance opportunities."
Montreat shot 41.3 percent from the floor (31-75 FG), 20.6 percent from beyond the arc (7-34 3-pt FG) and 77.8 percent at the free-throw line (14-18 FT). The Cavaliers limited Oglethorpe to 32.8 percent shooting from the field (20-61 FG), 26.8 percent from 3-point range (11-41 3-pt FG) and 76.7 percent at the stripe (23-30 FT). The hosts also held the edge in rebounds (50-35), turnovers (12-10), points in the paint (46-14) and second-chance points (16-4).
Cole led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting and six rebounds. Stewart finished with 13 rebounds, five points, five assists and two steals, while Manginello added nine points, six boards and five assists. Eleven different Cavs made a basket during the contest, while 12 hauled in at least one board.
Up next, the Cavaliers head to Lawrenceville, Ga., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, for a matchup against No. 18 Georgia Gwinnett College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
