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Bears' defense, ball handling trigger key road win

Truett McConnell's men's basketball team picked up its first conference road win of the year, besting Tennessee Wesleyan University 76-63. The victory evens TMU's Appalachian Athletic Conference record at 2-2. The Bears are 7-2 overall.

The Bears' ball handling and defense were the catalysts for success. TMU committed just 12 turnovers on the night against a Bulldogs squad that loves to pressure full court. The Bears forced 22 turnovers of their own and allowed just five offensive rebounds all night and none in the first half.

"We really stressed attacking the press together the last couple days in practice," said TMU head coach Jon Yeh. "I think we had two turnovers in the back court all game long, and they were both dead ball turnovers.

"And we really haven't rebounded well the past several games. Again, it's something we've talked about in practice and the men responded well tonight," remarked Yeh. "When you have 10 to 12 more opportunities to score than the opponent, you'll be successful most of the time."

Junior Jacob Booke led all scorers with 20 points. Christian Davis knocked down four 3-pointers en route to 16 points. David Campbell and Mario Westbrooks contributed 13 and 11 points respectively. TMU also shared the ball effectively, collecting 19 assists on 29 made field goals. Myles Monroe paced the Bears with 7 assists.

TMU led most of the opening minutes, but the Bulldogs went up 24-19 with 8:51 left in the first half. After a timeout, the Bears scored on their next five possessions. TMU recaptured the lead on a Myles Monroe 3-pointer with 7:42 remaining. The Bears never trailed again and went to halftime leading 45-34.

The Bulldogs opened up the second half with three 3-pointers to close to within 48-45. But TMU responded with a 12-2 run capped by Calvin White's lay-up. The Bears extended the lead to 16 points midway through the half.

TMU's next contest will be Thursday at AAC foe St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, N.C. Tip time is set for 7:30 pm immediately following the women's game.