MONTREAT, N.C. – Bryan College overcame a late surge from Montreat to secure a 79-73 victory Wednesday night at McAlister Gymnasium, improving their conference record to 3-5 on the season.

The Lions jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and never trailed in the contest, though the Cavaliers made things interesting down the stretch with a furious rally that cut the deficit to three points in the final minute.

Bryan established control early behind balanced scoring and aggressive defense. The Lions shot 52 percent from the field in the opening half and forced eight Montreat turnovers to build a 35-28 halftime advantage.

The second half saw both teams settle into a grinding defensive battle. Bryan maintained their lead throughout, stretching the margin to as many as 12 points with under 12 minutes remaining. However, Montreat's Aden Taylor caught fire down the stretch, scoring 19 of his game-high 22 points in the second half.

Taylor was a perfect 14-for-14 from the free-throw line and knocked down crucial three-pointers late to keep the Cavaliers within striking distance. His three-pointer with eight seconds remaining cut Bryan's lead to 77-73, but clutch free-throw shooting sealed the victory for the visitors.

For Bryan, the scoring was distributed across the roster with four players reaching double figures. Dalen Gales led the way with 13 points, while Ty Gibbs provided a crucial spark off the bench with 12 points. Jerry Taylor Jr. added 11 points, and Derek Curtis chipped in 11 points along with three steals.

Izaiha Bredwood was outstanding at the free-throw line, converting six of eight attempts and dishing out four assists in 27 minutes of action. Kole Torres stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, nine rebounds, and four assists while playing a team-high 29 minutes.

"What a gutsy win by our team in a hostile environment," said Head Coach Jason Laatsch. "A great culture win against a well coached team in Montreat. I could not be more proud of our team and the way they are coming together," he continued. "Looking forward to another tough battle at Columbia on Saturday," he added.

With the victory, Bryan improves their conference record at 3-5 and will look to build momentum as they continue their season. The Lions will be on the road at Columbia College for an AAC match up on Saturday at 2:00 pm.