BLUEFIELD, Va. – The Milligan University men's basketball squad faces an uphill climb over the last few contests of the 2025-26 campaign, needing to win all three to even have a shot at the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament. The first of those three contests came against the Bluefield University (Va.) Rams on the road. A high-scoring affair concluded in a huge win for Milligan by a final tally of 101-94.

The two teams could not find any separation from each other in the first half, with neither side leading the other by more than four points until the 4:13 mark in the period. At that point, the Buffs stretched their lead to six points at 40-34 with a three-point jumper. That lead would turn to nine on another three at 43-34. Bluefield would battle back to tie the score with 37 seconds remaining in the half, however, as a three-point shot by Milligan before the end of the half to take a 50-47 edge into the break.

Milligan grew their lead to eight points through the first six minutes and change of the first half of action. They led 70-62 with 13:46 left to be played. The Rams then supplied their own 7-0 run to trail by just one at 70-69 with the clock sitting at 11:18. The Buffaloes stretched their advantage back out to eight points at 81-73 with 6:54 to play, as they looked to salt away the remainder of the clock. Bluefield was not done, though, as they continued to battle back, getting back to within as few as three points with 45 seconds left. The 97-94 score would end up being insurmountable after a layup with 32 seconds left by MU. A missed three on the next possession, followed by free throws from the Buffs dealt the Rams a 101-94 defeat.


What a day it was for the Buffs' top two scorers, as Te'Jon McDaniel-McCormick scored 37 points on a tremendous 14-of-23 shooting line. He was followed by Elijah Bredwood, who poured in 32 points with a 10-of-20 conversion rate, including four made three-point shots. Zack Turner (11) and Jake Benham (10) also scored in double figures in the triumph.

Bredwood, Benham and Bo Koebbe led the way with four assists apiece. Three dimes came via Turner, and McDaniel-McCormick and Liviu Anton added on two each.

McDaniel-McCormick's 15 rebounds were a game-high total and earned him a double-double as the game's leading scorer and rebounder. Bredwood pulled down eight backboards, nearly reaching double-double status. Koebbe and Benham totaled 12, split equally between the two of them, while Turner and Stefan Janevski each snatched two. Anton grabbed the final rebound for the team.

The Buffaloes had seven steals and did not block a shot in the win, as McDaniel-McCormick and Bredwood swiped the orange twice each. The three leftover steals came from Turner, Anton and Grant Hensley.

Even with the win, Milligan (8-18, 6-11 AAC) is on the fringe of being eliminated from AAC Tournament contention. The Bryan victory yesterday forces the Buffs to hope for a Reinhardt loss to Bluefield on Saturday, as well as two more AAC triumphs over CIU and Tennessee Wesleyan for the Buffaloes. That is the only remaining scenario for qualification for the Buffs. They will head to Columbia, S.C. for a matchup with the Rams on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.