Men’s Basketball falls to Truett-McConnell in opening New Year matchup

CLEVELAND, Ga. (Jan. 2, 2025) - The Point University Men's Basketball team opened the New Year with a nonconference matchup against former Appalachian Athletic Conference foe, Truett McConnell University where the Skyhawks fell to the Bears with a final score of 93-84. 

The Skyhawks opened the first half by finding their footing by trading scores in the early going as O'Brien Watkins converted from the three-point line. The lead stayed in Point's favor as Vince Graves sprinted past the defense for a layup and Tanner Higgins followed with a three-pointer. The Bears responded with a 12-2 to boost themselves to a 22-15 lead but back-to-back triples from Tanner Higgins kept the game within single digits. The firepower from behind the arc continued to be displayed as Vince Graves followed with a three-pointer that helped tie the game at 24. The Bears took their time to regroup during a timeout and responded with an 11-3 run to lead by seven. The Skyhawks continued to keep their pace as Antwon Ferrell added a layup and three-pointer to the Bears' lead to two. Vince Graves flipped the momentum with an And-One layup and a free throw to lead 39-37. As both teams continued to flip the lead back and forth, Point held the lead with a score of 46-41 to go into halftime. 

The Skyhawks entered the second half by attacking the paint as Vince Graves, O'Brien Watkins, and Antwon Ferrell each converted on layups. Truett McConnell shook off the rust and began to add a mixture of three-pointers and layups to regain the lead in the early going. Point continued to stay in the fight as Brandon Kincaid made a mid-range jumper to put the Skyhawks ahead with a score of 58-57. The Bears followed with a 9-0 run to move their lead to 69-60. As Point looked to make a big run, the Bears kept their foot on the gas and attacked the paint while also extending their lead to 77-65. The late run was enough for Truett-McConnell to hold their lead through the final period of play with a final score of 93-84. 

In the Box 

Vince Graves led with 22 Points and six rebounds. O'Brien Watkins followed with 18 Points, seven rebounds, and one assist. Antwon Ferrell contributed with 16 Points, three rebounds, and two steals. 

Up Next 

The Skyhawks will continue their play on the road as Point travels to Marietta, Georgia for a Southern States Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday, January 4th starting at 2:00 P.M.