(KINGSPORT, Tenn.) – On Thursday, the No. 5 Truett McConnell University men’s basketball team traveled to Kingsport, Tenn. for the second round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament. The Bears faced No. 4 Bryan College, where they extended their stay after besting the Lions with a score of 63-51. TMU improved to a record of 20-11, while moving on to the semi-finals.
PLAY BY PLAY
In the first half, TMU was first on the board with a jump shot from Enocka Franky. The Lions retaliated quickly, but were no match for the Bears. A layup from Franky, a jump shot from KJ Riley and a layup from Cory Seitz quickly brought them within one point of the Lions. A three-point shot from Brent Kelly gave the Bears the lead, followed by a jumper from Franky. A Kafunba Toure free throw and a Franky tip-in increased TMU’s deficit to seven points over the Lions. A layup from Riley gave the Bears a 26-19 lead going into the half.
In the second half, TMU did not let up. Two free throws from Franky and a jump shot from Raul Arias-Ortega kept the deficit the same. An EJ Smith three-point shot, followed by an Arias-Ortega three pointer increased the deficit to 14 points. The Lions had a short run to try and cut the deficit, but free throws from CJ Brown and another Franky tip-in kept the advantage to 14 points. In the final minutes, the Lions were persistent and managed to score a few points. The game was ultimately put out of reach with a layup from Riley, followed by two free throws from Toure. Two free throws from Riley sealed the Bears with a 63-51 victory over the Lions.
LEADERS
Riley led the way offensively with 15 points, going 4-5 at the free throw line and 5-12 from within the paint. Franky led defensively with eight rebounds and added 14 points, going 6-8 from within the paint. Arias-Ortega contributed nine points, going 3-6 from within the paint and 2-2 at the free throw line. Following, Smith had seven points, going 3-10 in the paint, and contributing six rebounds. Kelly had seven rebounds and seven points on the day as well, going 1-2 from behind the three-point arc.
UP NEXT
The Bears remain in Kingsport, Tenn. for the semi-final round of the AAC tournament on Friday, Feb. 25 against No. 1 Union College. Game time set for 2:00 p.m.
