CLEVELAND, Ga. (Nov. 8, 2022) - The Truett McConnell University men's basketball team had their home opener against Appalachian Athletic Conference foe, Point University, where the Bears shined on the court to secure a 59-55 victory over the Skyhawks. TMU rises to a record of 2-1, 2-0 AAC, while the Skyhawks fall to 1-3, 1-1 AAC.

PLAY BY PLAY
The Bears were electric from the start with a jump shot from EJ Smith, Raul Arias-Ortega, and Akil Covington for an early lead. The Skyhawks were diligent and captured the lead, then propelled forward to create a deficit. With TMU trailing, back-to-back layups from Brent Kelly and Arias-Ortega took the lead, seeing a shot from behind the three-point arc from Smith to send the Bears ahead. A fastbreak saw layups from Kelly and CJ Brown to send the Bears into the half with a 31-18 lead over the Skyhawks.

In the second half, the Bears continued to add to their score, creating a 17-point difference. The Skyhawks started to chip away and came within four points, but a three-pointer from Kelly sparked the momentum and saw a jump shot from Brown and Enocka Franky. With the clock winding down, the Skyhawks jumped on opportunities to cut the margin, but a jump shot from Smith and free throws from Kafunba Toure secured a 59-55 victory.

LEADERS
Kelly led the way with 15 points, going 4-5 at the free throw line while tallying seven rebounds. Smith followed with 10 points, recording four rebounds and two steals. Franky had 10 points, going 5-6 in the paint. Brown tallied eight points, six rebounds, and two blocks on the evening.

UP NEXT
The Bears return to the Benjamin F. Brady Arena on Saturday, November 12, for the homecoming game against AAC member, Johnson University. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.