KINGSPORT, Tenn. - CIU men's basketball's magical run through the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament continued on Friday as they defeated Montreat College (N.C.) 77-67 in the conference semifinals. The win puts CIU in their first-ever conference championship game, where they will face Bryan College (Tenn.) on Saturday.
Friday's semifinal was all Rams, as CIU led from start to finish. The Rams opened the contest on a 9-0 run capped by a DiAnthony Heathcock triple. The Cavaliers did not score until the 16:13 mark in the first half as the Rams kept their foot on the gas, extending their lead out 20-7 on Bryce Causey's 3-pointer. The Rams' largest lead of the half came at the 3:09 mark as Jaylon Jeter splashed home a deep ball to put CIU up 36-22. Montreat was able to stop some of the bleeding trailing the Rams 38-28 at the break.
The Rams began the second half by pushing the advantage out to 50-35 looking to put away the Cavaliers early. Montreat put up a fight, however, trimming the deficit down to 55-48 with just over 11 minutes left in the contest. CIU would respond to put the nail in the coffin to go on a 15-to-5 run over the next eight minutes to take a 70-53 advantage in the waning minutes of the ball game. CIU would give up 14 points down the stretch, but the Rams' lead was insurmountable as they toppled the Cavaliers 77-67.
Heathcock was the Rams' top scorer with 19 points draining three 3-pointers. Senior Skyler McKinney understood what was on the line Friday night, pouring in 18 of his own and distributing five assists. Fellow four-year player Jalen Brinson scored ten points and collected four dimes while directing the Rams' offense from the point guard position. Not to be outdone by his upperclassmen teammates, Causey stuffed the stat sheet with nine boards and eight points.
The Rams' veteran presence continues to be key in their postseason run as CIU's upperclassmen contributed 64 of the Rams' 77 points this evening.
What Coach Tony Stockman is saying: "The great thing about college basketball is that the postseason is a clean slate with endless possible outcomes. We have seized the moment so far, but we will find out tomorrow if we can truly capitalize on the opportunity that we have been given."
Up Next: CIU will face a red-hot Bryan team in the AAC championship at 3 PM on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Lions defeated a Union (Ky.) team in the semifinals, snapping the Bulldogs' historic 29-game win streak in the conference tournament.
