KINGSPORT, Tenn. (February 23, 2023) - On Thursday, the No. 9 Truett McConnell University men's basketball team competed in Kingsport, Tenn. for the quarterfinal round of tournament play against No. 1 Union College. The Bears suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Bulldogs, 66-75, to conclude their 2022-23 season. TMU finished with a record of 13-17, 10-15 AAC.

PLAY BY PLAY
In the first half, the Bulldogs were first to score, but a layup from EJ Smith put TMU on the board. Free throws from Brent Kelly and Cory Seitz were paired with a layup from Smith to chip at the deficit. The Bulldogs continued to add to their lead, but free throws from Micah McAllister and a layup from CJ Brown cut the Bulldogs lead to one. A clutch shot behind the three-point arc from McAllister gave TMU their first lead of the game. Both teams were evenly matched until a layup from Akil Covington combined with a free throw from McAllister gave the Bears the advantage. The Bulldogs responded with shots of their own to push ahead of TMU, while a layup from Seitz sent the Bears into the half trailing, 29-37.
 
In the second half, both teams continued to battle it out, while the Bulldogs forced TMU to work under pressure. Free throws from Kafunba Toure and Smith combined with layups from Kelly kept the Bulldogs at bay to keep the Bears in the game. Multiple shots from the Bulldogs created a large margin, until a layup from Franky and Brown cut the deficit. A shot behind the three-point arc from Smith and layup from Covington rallied TMU together, until the Bulldogs pushed ahead once again. In the final minute, the Bears saw a three-point shot from Kelly and Rubio, but ultimately proved not enough as TMU fell, 66-75.
 
LEADERS
Most notable, Franky recorded a double-double with 12 points, going 4-9 in the paint with 10 rebounds. McAllister led the way offensively with 13 points, going 2-4 behind the three-point arc and 5-6 at the free-throw line. Smith recorded 10 points, going 3-3 at the free-throw line with six rebounds while Kelly tallied eight points, going 3-15 in the paint and 1-2 at the free-throw line. Covington contributed seven points, going 3-6 in the paint with four rebounds.