Milligan Men's Hoops Drops Hotly Contested Exhibition at NCAA DI Western Carolina

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Milligan University men's basketball team played their first of two exhibition matchups against NCAA Division I competition on Thursday in Cullowhee, N.C. against the Catamounts of Western Carolina University. After a strong first half, in which they held a lead as large as nine points, WCU battled back to edge the Buffaloes with better second-half shooting, 78-69.

The Buffs were the better team in the first half, notching a 41.2% shooting clip on 14-of-34 from the field. Conversely, the Milligan defense forced Western Carolina into a disappointing 23.3% conversion rate on 7-of-30 from the floor. A total of 11 of the Catamounts' first-half points came at the free-throw stripe. The Buffaloes' largest lead was nine points at 28-19, as they entered the intermission with a six-point advantage at 35-29.

It was a trading of blows to start the second half, with Milligan extending their edge by a point, holding a 49-42 lead after the first 8:32 of the period. The Catamounts would put together a run over the next five minutes, eventually taking a 57-55 lead over the Buffs. That would not sink Milligan, however, as they battled back-and-forth for the next several minutes. In the end, though, the Catamounts pulled away late with timely threes and free throws to earn a 78-69 triumph over the Buffs in Cullowhee. The Buffaloes' shooting percentage hovered around the 40% mark but would end up below that number at 38.5% on a 25-of-65 clip for the game. For WCU, their shooting improved considerably, as they shot nearly 50% in the second half.

Elijah Bredwood broke out in the bout, putting up what would be a season-best 23 points on a 8-of-16 shooting clip with five long-range makes. McCaskill Rivers also posted double-digit points, pouring in 13 on a 6-of-13 line from the field. Handje Tamba provided 12 points in the bout, as well, serving as a large presence on the interior. Luke Lentz provided a sharpshooter from range, connecting on two shots from distance on four attempts and scoring a total of 10 points.

As a team, Milligan had 11 assists, with Finn McClure providing the highest total of four in the battle. Sam Gold also provided multiple dimes for the Buffaloes, with two.

Handje Tamba picked up 12 rebounds in the contest, notching another double-double. Gold, Bredwood, McClure and Peay came next on the docket with four apiece. Lastly, Rivers and Lentz had two each.

The Buffaloes were highly impressive on the defensive end, playing an opportunistic style with eight steals and four blocks as a team. McClure's five steals were the most eye-popping, while Peay supplied three blocks and a steal in the bout to lead the squad in the blocks category. Tamba had a rejection and a takeaway, as well, while Bredwood provided the remaining theft.

It was an encouraging exhibition matchup for the Buffaloes, who now will face another NCAA Division I opponent in Tennessee Tech on the road in Cookeville, Tenn. on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. ET.