MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat College men's basketball team narrowly defeated Truett McConnell University, 76-73, Tuesday evening inside McAlister Gymnasium, outlasting the Bears in a tightly-contested Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup. The Cavaliers' flawless performance at the free-throw line (23-23 FT) proved pivotal in sealing the win. With the result, the Cavs improved to 13-10 (8-7 AAC), while TMU dropped to 11-13 (8-8 AAC).
Montreat opened the first frame with a steady offensive rhythm, overcoming an early deficit after the Bears' initial 3-pointer. The home team capitalized on points off turnovers, totaling eight points in that department, and displayed strong interior play with 18 points in the paint. The Cavaliers' bench was impactful, contributing 27 points to the team's first-half effort.
As the period progressed, the Cavs increased the pace, resulting in a significant 20-4 scoring run that extended their lead. With under two minutes to go, the hosts achieved their largest lead of the frame at 16 points (43-27). The Cavaliers closed out the half with a 45-29 advantage over TMU.
Montreat began the second half with momentum as Zeke Bullington buried a 3-pointer, extending the lead to 19 points just 13 seconds after play resumed. The home side maintained control with key defensive plays, including a steal by Caleb Moore, which led to two free throws from Aden Taylor. Despite the Bears' efforts to close the gap with a series of successful 3-pointers and layups, RJ Manginello responded with consistent scoring in the paint, including a crucial fast break layup.
As the period progressed, the Bears slowly chipped away at the deficit. A 7-0 spurt midway through the frame trimmed Montreat's lead to just four (56-52). Truett McConnell continued to battle and claimed its first lead of the half, 64-63, with under 5:30 remaining. From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth affair, with both teams knocking down key shots in the closing minutes.
The Cavaliers' resilience was evident as Dyllan Barnwell delivered a clutch layup to tie the game, then converted the ensuing free throw to give the hosts a one-point edge with 31 seconds remaining (74-73). In the closing seconds, Manginello calmly knocked down two free throws to help put the game away. TMU missed a 3-point look with one second left, and the Cavs held off the visitors' late surge to secure the 76-73 victory.
"We have put an emphasis on making free throws at the end of situations in practice and at the end of segments," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "To see it manifest itself like that is a really big deal."
Montreat finished the game shooting 42.9 percent from the field (24-56 FG), 26.3 percent from deep (5-19 3-pt FG) and a perfect 100.0 percent from the free-throw line (23-23 FT). On the defensive side of the ball, the hosts held Truett McConnell to 48.2 percent from the floor (27-56 FG), 28.6 percent from beyond the arc (6-21 3-pt FG) and 50.0 percent from the charity stripe (13-26 FT). The Cavaliers held the edge in rebounds (31-25) and second-chance points (15-5).
Manginello paced the Cavaliers with a season-high 30 points off the bench, sinking three 3-pointers and converting all nine free-throw attempts. Barnwell added 16 points on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting clip and grabbed seven rebounds. Taylor finished with 14 points, hitting all eight of his free throws, while dishing out two assists. Stewart contributed on the glass with seven boards to go along with four points.
In its next matchup, Montreat will host Tennessee Wesleyan University on Thursday, Feb. 12. The game is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. at McAlister Gymnasium in Montreat, N.C.
