DAYTON, Tenn. — In one of the most dramatic finishes of the season, Bryan College narrowly defeated Montreat 77-76 Wednesday night at Summers Gymnasium, with
Ty Gibbs delivering the decisive free throws in the final seconds to send the home crowd home happy.
The game was a back-and-forth affair from the opening tip, with the lead changing hands 17 times and the two teams knotted up on 10 separate occasions. Bryan never led by more than six points, and Montreat's advantage never surpassed seven — a testament to how evenly matched the two squads were throughout the night.
Izaiha Bredwood was the story of the game for Bryan, pouring in a game-high 23 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting from the field, knocking down seven of his eight three-point attempts. The performance gave Bryan the perimeter firepower it needed to overcome a significant rebounding disadvantage — Montreat controlled the glass 48-34 on the night.
Gibbs came through when it mattered most. With Bryan trailing 76-74 in the final seconds, Gibbs converted a layup to tie the game, then stepped to the line and calmly sank two free throws with 26 seconds remaining to give Bryan a 77-76 lead.
Kole Torres added 14 points, and Gibbs finished with 14 of his own.
For Montreat, Aden Taylor led the way with 15 points, while Lawrence Cole added 14 and RJ Manginello chipped in 12. The Cavaliers actually shot fewer times and made fewer field goals than Bryan — going 27-of-77 compared to Bryan's 27-of-59 — but stayed in the game thanks to a dominant effort on the offensive glass and 15 second-chance points.
Manginello had a chance to be the hero, drawing a foul on a technical called against Torres in the final minute that briefly put Montreat up 76-74. But after Gibbs answered, Montreat's final possession came up empty, with Taylor's last-second three-pointer falling short as time expired.
Bryan's bench outscored Montreat's reserves 17-33 in raw numbers for the visitors, but it was the Lions' starters — particularly Bredwood — who made the difference when the game was on the line.
"I am so proud of our guys," said Head Coach Jason Laatsch. "We have played in so many close games this year and it was nice to come out on top this game," he added. "Montreat is playing really well and had won 4 straight coming into tonight. Coach Barringer does as good a job as anyone in our league. In a game with 17 lead changes, we were very fortunate to come out with the win. I am proud of our resilience and the ability to stick together. We look forward to resting as we prepare for the conference tournament next week," he continued. "As always, I want to thank the Bryan fan base for coming out to support us. You made a difference!"
The Lions will await their seeding for the AAC Tournament once conference play has concluded. The tournament is set to take place next week in Kingsport, TN at the Marriott MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center.
