The top two teams in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) standings met on a basketball court in Barbourville, Ky., on Saturday. Tennessee Wesleyan traveled to face the #17 team in the NAIA, the Union College Bulldogs, in their final regular season game of the semester.
The game between the two AAC juggernauts was tied 4-4 after a Kobe Pride layup and a pair of Jonathan Webb free throws. Ty Patterson and Elisha Mayberry kept the team within one point of the lead with three-pointers, the latter making the score 11-10 in favor of the opponent. A slight turn in the tide occurred when Union scored 11 of the next 13 points to move ahead 22-12. TWU dug out of the double-digit hole, scoring 13 of the next 17 points to cut the deficit to one point with 6:42 remaining in the first half. Darius Rozier, Mayberry, Ray Tyler, and Patterson all scored to make the score 26-25. A little over a minute later, the Bulldogs in blue took the lead on a Tyler layup, and once again on a Pride layup, this one making the score 33-32 with 3:57 until the halftime buzzer. Over the remaining time, the opponents outscored Tennessee Wesleyan 13-2 to take a 45-35 lead into the break.
Out of the halftime break, the Bulldogs went on a 16-6 run, tying the game 51-51 with 14:55 remaining in the game. Patterson, Mayberry, Pride, and Peyton West all scored during the run. Union scored five straight points to break the tie and turned the five-point streak into a 17-7 run to put TWU in a 68-58, double-digit hole with 9:24 remaining. A 6-2 run that had points from Patterson, Mayberry, and Pride cut the deficit down to six points, making the score 70-64. The opponents did not let the Bulldogs pull closer though, maintaining their lead until the final scoreboard read 86-76.
Mayberry (20), Patterson (17), and Pride (16) all finished in double-figure scoring in the game. Patterson led on the boards with nine rebounds.
Tennessee Wesleyan (8-2, 7-2 AAC) remains in second place in the AAC standings following the conclusion of the regular season in the year 2022. The team will play two more games in 2022, both exhibitions, before returning to regular season play on January 3, 2023. The first of the two exhibitions is on Wednesday against NCAA Division II opponent Lincoln Memorial University. The road contest starts at 7:00 p.m.
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