May 4, 2024
ATHENS, Tenn. – On Monday, the Truett McConnell University men's basketball team traveled to compete in an Appalachian Athletic Conference match-up hosted by Tennessee Wesleyan University, where the Bears found themselves unable to bridge the gap against the Bulldogs, falling to a final score of 76-69. TMU falls to an overall record of 9-10, 7-8 AAC, while TWU rises to a record of 6-9, 6-8 AAC.
In the first half, TWU acted first, with EJ Smith responding with a good three-pointer. Both teams battled early to take the lead when back-to-back layups by Cainan Wright put TMU up by six. The Bears continued to increase their lead with a three-pointer by Smith and a layup by CJ Brown creating a five-point gap. Eagar to increase the scoring deficit, two made free throws by Jadon Yeh and a three-pointer by Cooper Rubio pushed the Bears forward over the opposing team by 10. The Bears continued to hold their lead, creating space as the first half ended, when two jump shots by the Bulldogs decreased TMU's lead to five, entering the half 35-30.
The second half saw the Bulldogs first to the basket, eager to decrease the margin created by the Bears in the first half. A jump shot by Yeh and a layup by Smith kept the Bulldogs at bay but was short-lived as 10 consecutive points by TWU pushed the Bulldogs ahead. TMU worked to recover from the Bulldogs' strong second-half performance, but ultimately could not bridge the gap, falling to TWU, 69-76.
Smith led the way for the Bears with 20 points and nine rebounds. Wright followed with a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds while Yeh contributed 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Brown was featured tallying eight points and five rebounds while Cory Seitz had eight points and four rebounds, respectfully.
