Men's Basketball Wins Road Game at Truett McConnell

Cleveland, Ga.- The men's basketball team went on the road for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) game on Saturday. The team traveled to face the Truett McConnell University Bears.

In the first half, the largest lead either team held was five points. A dunk by Elisha Mayberry and a jumper by Kobe Pride put the game in two ties, the latter being 4-4. Peyton West broke this tie and Ray Tyler's jump shot made the lead 8-4. The opponents cut the lead to one before Tyler put the team back up by three with a layup, making the score 10-7. Truett McConnell scored two straight baskets to take over the lead but by the midway point of the first half, the Bulldogs held a 17-13 lead after scores by Ty Patterson and Mayberry. The five-point lead was taken by TWU when Tyler hit three consecutive free throws to make the score 20-15 with 8:15 remaining in the first half. Zhaelin Callahan jump shot put the team back up by five points with the scoreboard reading 22-17. Unfortunately, by halftime, the Bears outscored the Bulldogs 10-3 to take a 27-25 lead into the break.

Through the first seven minutes of the second half, Tennessee Wesleyan took over the game. Points from the combination of Tyler, Patterson, Pride, West, and Mayberry set the Bulldogs on a 17-5 scoring rally, giving them a 42-32 lead with 13:46 left in the game. Darius Rozier gave TWU their largest lead of the game when his layup moved the score to 47-35. Six straight points by Truett McConnell brought them within six points of the Bulldogs' lead. Rozier thwarted the Bears' attempt to pull closer with a layup. Mayberry and Cameron Montgomery ended a second attempt after Truett McConnell pulled within six points, scoring back-to-back to give Tennessee Wesleyan a 53-43 advantage. The opponents did not pull any closer than seven for the remainder of the game and the Bulldogs went on to win the game 65-58.

Tyler led all scorers with 18 points while Patterson had 10 points. Pride completed a double-double with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

The win moved the team's record to 13-4 overall and 12-4 in the AAC.