CLEVELAND, GA.|    The Truett-McConnell men's basketball team picked up their 1st conference win of the season heading into Thanksgiving Break. The Bears are now 6-2 on the season and 1-2 in AAC Conference play. 

After a few early lead changes, a layup from Felipe Gonzalez gave the Bears an 8-7 lead. Solid bench play from Eddie Hurst and Will South helped the Bears extend their lead to as many as 8 with just under 3 minutes to go in the 1st half. The Lions fought back with a run of their own to cut the TMU lead to 4, 37-33 going into the half. 

The Bears started the second half strong with a 7-0 run, forcing the Lions to call timeout. The Lions fought back with an 8-0 run of their own to stay within fighting distance. Solid 3 point shooting from Jacob Booke helped the Bears extend their lead to 15 with just over 7 minutes to go in the game. The Bears rebounded well and shot 89% from the free throw line in the final 7 minutes to secure their first conference victory, 79-65. Mario Westbrooks finished the night with an impressive 10/11 from the free throw line.

The Bears will be back in action next Tuesday night at Tennessee Wesleyan. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m.