Men's Basketball Drops Game Against Georgia Gwinnett

ATHENS, Tenn.- The men's basketball team took the floor against the 25th-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies for the first time in program history on Wednesday. The Grizzilies ended up with the win in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Cory Marshall started the scoring for the Bulldogs and a three-pointer by Ty Runyan made the score 6-5. Trailing 10-5, points from Stratton Lovvorn, Sohn McGee, and JJ Rueckert helped TWU lead for the first time with 12:20 remaining in the first half, an 11-10 score. Zhaelin Callahan made it eight straight points with a layup, moving the lead to 13-10. The lead did not last for the Bulldogs as Georgia Gwinnett moved ahead 17-15 at the midway point of the first half. By the 5:53 mark, the deficit had grown to 31-18. Tennessee Wesleyan withstood the scoring drought, pulling within five points of the lead on Charles Neverdon's three-point jumper. The opponents scored the final basket of the half, leading 42-35 at the break. 

Runyan scored the first points of the second half for the Bulldogs, a three-pointer that made the score 45-38. The next few minutes of the game saw TWU go cold from the field as the Grizzlies went on a 10-2 run to move the lead to 55-40. Georgia Gwinnett continued to hold their double-digit lead until back-to-back three-pointers by Omarion Barber brought the Bulldogs back to within single digits with the scoreboard reading 73-66. The opponents stopped the momentum by TWU, closing the 4:56 with a 12-4 run to win the game 85-70.

Barber finished with a career-high 16 points in the game. 

The Bulldogs (5-5) jump back in conference play on Saturday with a game against the University of Pikeville at 4:00 p.m.