KINGSPORT, Tenn. (February 26, 2025) - On Wednesday, the No. 9 Truett McConnell University men's basketball team traveled to compete in the opening round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament. The Bears faced No. 8 Reinhardt University where they extended their stay after shutting down the Eagles in a nail-biting 78-77 victory. TMU improves to a record of 13-14, while moving on to the next round. 

PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Bears started the game off hot with an 8-0 run with layups from Myles McCrary, Raul Arias-Ortega, and Jadon Yeh. RU tried to come back, but the Bears kept the lead with a made layup from Omari Joseph. Both teams continued to battle as the opposing team attempted to close the gap, but an answer by RJ Bryant with a made three pointer quickly gave the Bears momentum once again. Layups by McCrary and Arias-Ortega continued to keep TMU close as the Eagles took the lead by one point, 33-32.


The second half started with a made layup by Arias-Ortega. Both teams battled back and forth, eager to maintain their position on the board. TMU continued to ban together with layups from Shawn Walker, Joseph, and McCrary leading the way. Three-pointers by Bryant and Arias-Ortega kept the match in the Bears favor, when a late run by the Eagles managed to give RU the lead. A last chance made jump shot by McCrary in the final seconds of the game proved capable of securing the nail-biting win, 78-77. 

LEADERS 
Arias-Ortega lead the way for the Bears recording 26 points and five rebounds. McCrary followed recording a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Yeh tallied 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Joseph recorded nine rebounds, respectfully.

UP NEXT
The Bears advance to the second round of tournament play on Thursday, February 27 as they face the No. 1 seed University of Pikeville. Game time set for 12:00 p.m.P