KINGSPORT, Tenn. (February 29, 2024) - The Truett McConnell University men's basketball team concluded their 2023-24 season on Thursday, where the No. 10 seed Bears fell to the Appalachian Athletic Conference No. 2 seed University of Pikeville with a final score of 73-80. TMU finished the season with an overall record of 12-18, 9-15 AAC. 

PLAY-BY-PLAY

Pikeville led the way in the first half with a seven-point run, but EJ Smith put TMU on the board with a shot from the three-point arc and Akil Covington followed with a shot of his own from the arc (6-7). Both teams were even for majority of the half, featuring two free throws by Cainan Wright to bridge the gap (17-17). A layup by Raul Arias-Ortega kept the lead in range for the Bears, but Pike managed to pull away with the lead at halftime (25-32). 

A three-pointer by Smith spared the second half once again for the TMU, followed by a shot in the paint from Jadon Yeh (30-37). Pike gained a heavy lead, forcing the Bears to work hard under pressure, but shots from KJ Riley and Arias-Ortega kept TMU in the game. Two final shots from the three-point arc from Smith proved the Bears final chance to lessen the advantage, resulting in a season ending score of 73-80.

LEADERS

Smith had a sharp outing in his final game as a Bear with 31 points and eight rebounds, along with going 7-11 at the three-point arc ad 11-19 in field goals. Yeh recorded 14 points with four assists, followed by Riley who had nine points and Arias-Ortega who had eight points. 

Keep up with all the Bears action here on tmbears.com or follow us on Facebook (@TMUBears), Instagram (@TMUBears) and Twitter (@TMUBears).