MONTREAT, N.C. - When the CIU and Montreat (N.C.) men's basketball teams get together, expect an exciting finish. The matchup did not disappoint on Saturday afternoon, as it took five extra minutes to decide the victor. Unfortunately for the Rams, it was the Cavaliers who came out on top 80-70 after 45 minutes of basketball. With the loss, the Rams move to 8-9 overall and 7-8 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play.

The game was extremely tight from the jump, with the largest lead of the first half coming at the 8:32 mark when the Cavaliers went up 17-12. The game's first 20 minutes were even offensively, as CIU led 35-34 at the half. The Rams knocked down five three-pointers shooting 50% from beyond the arc. Skyler McKinney was 3-of-3 from deep in the first half with ten points. 

The Rams steadily pulled away in the second half, eventually taking their largest lead of the game at 56-46 with 6:54 to play. The Rams appeared poised for an important conference win, but Montreat had other ideas. The Cavaliers battled back to take a 59-58 advantage (1:33), but Darrian Oates responded with a triple to put CIU back up 61-59. The Rams were unable to protect the lead down the stretch as the Cavaliers forced overtime with the game knotted at 63-63. The extra period was all Montreat as they outscored CIU 17-7 to seize control and pick up the 80-70 win.

The Rams were led by McKinney, who had 17 points and seven rebounds, and Jalen Brinson, who scored 12 points and dished out seven assists. Christian Howard played a big role off the bench for CIU, scoring ten points, while James Davis and Bryce Causey chipped in seven each.

The Rams knocked down 11 three-pointers while forcing 17 turnovers. CIU shared the ball well as a team, with 14 assists. 

Up Next: CIU will head to Laurinburg, N.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 25, to take on St. Andrews University at 7:30 PM.