Montreat Defense Stiffles Soles Game-Winning Attempt

February 6, 2007
Game Stats

Wise, VA – The Montreat College defense stifled UVA-Wise’s Jarred Soles from getting off a game-winning attempt in the final seconds to survive for an 81-79 Appalachian Athletic Conference men’s hoops win.

Soles (Yorktown, VA) recorded a big night for the Highland Cavaliers (7-19/4-11 AAC) by draining nine of 18 attempts with five treys for a game-best 28 points. Zydrunas Rackauskas had his usual double-double of 23 points (six of nine shots and 11 of 13 free throws) and 13 rebounds. Seth Gibson (Wytheville, VA) chipped in 11 tallies and three assists.

The backcourt duo of Aaron Collazo and Thomaal Conyers paced the visitors with 20 and 18 points. Kinard Barnett added 14 tallies and Noble Anthony 11. The AAC Player of the Week Tim Lewis was held to four points and fouled out in 21 minutes.

The two teams played even in almost every category. Both teams shot 24 of 47 (51.1%) for the game and were separated by only two rebounds in favor of UVA-Wise, 28-26.

After being down by as many as nine points, 30-21, in the first half, the Highland Cavaliers ended the stanza with a fury. The scoreboard read 40-32 with 59 seconds left before Soles and Gibson hit back-to-back triples before Soles added another at the buzzer to tie the game, 41-41, at the intermission.

Montreat (15-11/12-3 AAC) had a strong first 10 minutes of the second half. The visitors led 61-54 before Soles and Rackauskas combined for all of the points in a 10-3 spurt to tie the game at 64-64 with 7:16 left.

The two teams were tied five more times in the final seven minutes. Travis Brannon edged UVA-Wise ahead with a three-point play, 79-78, with 1:23 before Collazo hit three of four three throws to make it 81-79. The foul shots set up the final defensive stand by Montreat for the 81-79 win.

UVA-Wise will host Alice Lloyd College Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.