Men's Basketball Erase Deficit to Defeat KCU

GRAYSON, Ky.- The men's basketball team overcame an 18-point deficit in their 81-74 win on Wednesday. The team won the game against the Kentucky Christian University Knights

The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) game started with Kentucky Christian setting the pace early, knocking down a three-pointer to open the scoring. Tennessee Wesleyan responded with a layup from Jay Reed, followed by another strong finish inside to give the Bulldogs a brief 4-3 lead. However, turnovers and missed opportunities allowed Kentucky Christian to go on an extended run. Amauri Young and Armando Cuadrado provided energy on both ends, but Kentucky Christian's hot shooting extended their lead to double digits. Despite efforts from Ty Hurst and Peyton West to keep the Bulldogs in the game, Kentucky Christian took a commanding 48-33 lead into halftime.

Tennessee Wesleyan came out of the break with renewed energy and quickly started chipping away at the deficit. Young converted an early layup, followed by a steal and transition basket by Charles Neverdon. The Bulldogs increased their defensive pressure, forcing turnovers and capitalizing on fast-break opportunities. Hurst ignited a crucial run with a three-pointer, while Reed added another inside bucket to cut the deficit to single digits. At the 10-minute mark, the Bulldogs had completely flipped the momentum, trailing by just four points.

With five minutes remaining, Tennessee Wesleyan took their first lead since the opening minutes, as Young powered through for a contested layup to put the Bulldogs ahead 64-62. Kentucky Christian briefly tied the game, but Neverdon responded with a clutch three-pointer, followed by a defensive stop and another transition basket from Hurst.

Down the stretch, Wesleyan remained composed, hitting key free throws to seal the victory. Young, Hurst, and Reed controlled the final moments, securing the Bulldogs' 81-74 win with a dominant second-half performance.

Hurst led the team with 23 points to go along with 17 points by Young and 13 points each by Reed and Neverdon.

The next game for the Bulldogs (10-12, 9-8 AAC) takes place on Saturday in James L. Robb Gymnasium. The team hosts Columbia College in a conference game at 4:00 p.m.