CLEVELAND, GA. | Christian Davis and the Bears did it again to Allen University. The junior guard nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner off a Filipe Gonçalves kick-out pass with seconds remaining to give TMU a 75-72 lead. After Allen's Kenneth Rolle missed his game-tying three off the back iron, the Bears sealed not only the win but a return trip to the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament.  
 
For Davis, it was the third game-winning shot he has hit against Allen in two years. Last season, he also swished a third buzzer beater right before halftime when TMU hosted the Yellow Jackets.
 
For the Bears (17-10/10-8), it was the third win this year over an NAIA Division II Top 25 opponent. Allen came into the contest ranked No. 25 in the national poll released earlier in the week. The victory tied TMU's school record for wins in a season as a four-year NAIA program. And with the combination of results from around the AAC, the Bears moved to within one game of second place with two conference games remaining.
 
"What a gritty, gritty win," said Bears Head Coach Jon Yeh. "I told our guys, as well as Allen's Coach Jones, at halftime that a really good team was going to win tonight and a really good team was going to lose tonight. Obviously, I'm glad we ended up on the winning side after so many close losses in January."
 
Neither team led by more than eight points the entire night. The difference came down to defense. Allen came into the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in field goal percentage (.544) and fifth in scoring offense (92.56 points per game). TMU forced the Yellow Jackets to shoot just .431 from the field and held Allen 20 points below the team's scoring average.
 
Five Bears scored in double figures, with 14 points each coming from senior David Campbell and freshman Myles Monroe. Davis notched 12 points to go along with eight assists. Junior Jacob Booke contributed 12 points, including two key 3-pointers to get the Bears rolling in the second half. Gonçalves finished with 11 points, and freshman Calvin White led the Bears with seven rebounds.
 
"We talked about two words tonight before the game: execution and perseverance. We did a much better job running our stuff, especially in crunch time. Plus our last scores came off assists and very unselfish play. And I thought we battled extremely hard against a really physical team."
 
The Bears will travel Saturday to Columbia, S.C., for a non-conference rematch with Columbia International University. Game time is scheduled for 3 pm.