Men's Basketball Outshoot Bears

ATHENS, Tenn.- The men's basketball team clinched the seventh seed in the upcoming Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament on Senior Day on Saturday. The team beat the Truett McConnell University Bears 84-71.

Tennessee Wesleyan wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Jay Reed opened the game with a layup after a steal. Armando Cuardado followed with another layup off an assist from Peyton West, giving the Bulldogs an early 4-0 lead.The Bulldogs' defense was aggressive from the start, forcing multiple turnovers and limiting Truett McConnell's scoring opportunities. Amauri Young knocked down a free throw to extend the lead to 5-0, and moments later, he drained a three-pointer off a pass from Ty Hurst to make it 8-1.

Midway through the first half, Wesleyan continued to dominate with strong rebounding and efficient shooting. Charles Neverdon connected from beyond the arc, and Cuardado finished another inside basket to extend the lead to 19-11. As the half progressed, Peyton West and Stratton Lovvorn added three-pointers, widening the gap. By halftime, Tennessee Wesleyan held a commanding 41-27 lead.

Truett McConnell attempted to mount a comeback early in the second half, but Tennessee Wesleyan answered every challenge. Hurst knocked down a three-pointer to push the lead to 44-27, and Cuardado added a mid-range jumper to keep momentum in the Bulldogs' favor.Jay Reed controlled the paint, grabbing key rebounds and finishing at the rim, while Young continued his strong play with another timely jumper. Truett McConnell found some offensive rhythm, cutting the deficit to single digits at one point, but Tennessee Wesleyan responded with clutch baskets from Lovvorn and Neverdon to restore a comfortable lead.

In the final minutes, the Bulldogs sealed the game with efficient free-throw shooting and solid defensive possessions. Hurst delivered a fast-break dunk off a steal to put an exclamation point on the victory, and Wesleyan closed out the game with a strong defensive stand.

Hurst led with 18 points while Lovvorn added 13 points to go along with 12 points each from West and Young.

TWU (12-13, 11-9 AAC) will face the No. 10 seed Union Commonwealth University in the AAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament on Wednesday at MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference in Kingsport, Tenn. The game is set to begin at 4:15 p.m.