LAKELAND, Fla. (December 17, 2022) - The Truett McConnell University men's basketball team traveled to face Southeastern University on the final day of the SEU Classic, where the Bears fell by slim margins to the Fire's late second-half run (62-66). TMU falls to a record of 6-7, while the Fire rises to a record of 7-7.
PLAY BY PLAY
The Bears were first on the board with a shot behind the three-point arc from CJ Brown. The Fire was quick to respond with a three-point shot of their own, leaving both teams to go neck-and-neck. Three clutch free throws from Micah McAllister propelled TMU ahead, where a three-pointer from Cory Seitz continued to add to the Bear's lead. The Fire quickly stole the lead from TMU, until back-to-back layups from Brown and Raul Arias-Ortega recaptured TMU's lead. A jump shot from Arias-Ortega and free throws from RJ Bryant created a large deficit, while a three-point shot from Arias-Ortega sent the Bears into the half with a 12-point lead (39-27).
In the second half, the Fire quickly closed the gap, until a dunk from Kafunba Toure paired with a layup from Arias-Ortega maintained the Bear's lead. The Fire was persistent with back-to-back three-point shots, coming within two when a three-pointer from McAllister kept TMU ahead. With five minutes to play, the Fire quickly closed in on the Bears, while a layup from Arias-Ortega saw TMU up by one. A final three-point shot from Arias-Ortega was ultimately not enough as SEU stole the win in the final seconds with a score of 62-66.
LEADERS
Arias-Ortega led the way with 22 points, going 10-15 in the paint and 2-5 behind the three-point arc. Brown followed with 11 points, going 4-5 in the paint with four rebounds. McAllister recorded nine points, going 3-3 at the free-throw line, while Toure tallied six points, going 3-8 in the paint with six rebounds. Franky collected five points, going 3-5 at the free-throw line with nine rebounds on the evening.
UP NEXT
The Bears remain on the road on Tuesday, January 3, and head to Columbia, S.C. for an Appalachian Athletic Conference match-up against Columbia International University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
