CLEVELAND, Ga. (December 10, 2022) - The Truett McConnell University men's basketball team hosted Appalachian Athletic Conference rival Reinhardt University, where the Bear's were unable to respond to a strong Eagles offense (79-87). TMU falls to a record of 4-7, 4-6 AAC, while the Eagles rise to 6-6, 6-4 AAC.

PLAY BY PLAY
The Bears went head-to-head with the Eagles, where the Eagles were first on the board. A three-point shot from Brent Kelly and EJ Smith quickly gave TMU the lead. A free throw from Smith followed by a three-point shot from Raul Arias-Ortega added to the Bears lead. The Eagles did not settle and worked to recapture the lead with shots of their own. Two free throws from Cory Seitz gave TMU their last lead of the half, where the Eagles had a six-point run to regain the lead. A shot behind the three-point arc from Arias-Ortega and free throws from Smith cut the margin, but the Eagles were persistent. A fastbreak layup from Kafunba Toure, followed by a dunk sparked TMU's momentum to cut the Eagles lead. A free throw from Toure was the Bears last move as they headed into the half trailing, 31-41.

In the second half, the Bears worked quick with a three-pointer from Smith and three consecutive layups from Seitz to cut the deficit. Two layups from CJ Brown were paired with a layup from Smith to bring TMU within four. The Eagles quickly added to their lead, when a layup from Seitz and jump shot from Smith cut the deficit to two. The Eagles quickly rallied to leave the Bears behind, while a layup from Kelly and Seitz worked to decrease the gap. In the final seconds, a three-point shot from Wilson Sibley and Micah McAllister proved not enough as TMU fell, 79-87.

LEADERS
Smith led the way with 24 points, going 6-9 at the free throw line and 7-15 in the paint. Seitz followed with 15 points, going 6-8 in the paint with five rebounds. Arias-Ortega recorded 14 points on the evening, going 2-4 behind the three-point arc and 2-3 at the free-throw line. Kelly tallied eight points, going 3-9 in the paint with four rebounds.

UP NEXT
The Bears remain inside the Benjamin F. Brady Arena on Tuesday, December 13, for a non-conference matchup against Virginia University of Lynchburg. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m.