FAIRFIELD, Ala. – The University of Montevallo men's basketball team dropped a road contest to regionally-ranked Miles College, 79-58, Tuesday, in Fairfield, Ala.
 
In a game that featured a late tip-off due to travel complications, the in-state opponent suffocated the Falcons from long-range with excellent three-point shooting and finished 13-of-23 for 56 percent from downtown. Unlike the Bears, Montevallo struggled from deep and finished 4-of-18 for 22 percent.
 
Montevallo played tight with Miles to start before back-to-back three-pointers and a layup pushed the Bears to a 14-point lead, 34-20 at the 6:42 mark in the first half. Jumpers from Aidan Gardiner and MJ Jones cut the deficit to 10, but a layup before halftime extended the lead back to 13 for Miles, 42-29, at the break.
 
Less than two minutes into the second half, a Jones jumper capped a 7-4 UM run, making it a 10-point game, 46-36. Over the ensuing two and a half minutes, Miles used a 6-0 run to take its largest lead of the night to that point, 52-36. The Falcons were unable to slow down the home side the rest of the way and were only able to cut the deficit to as little as 12 down-the-stretch after a Te Smith three-pointer at the 12:50 mark.
 
After opening the season with a come-from-behind win over Tampa, the Falcons have dropped four in a row.
 
Miles is tied for seventh in the latest D2SIDA South Region rankings with an undefeated 4-0 start to the season.

Game Information

Score: Montevallo 58, Miles 79
Records: Montevallo (1-4, 0-2 GSC) Miles (4-0)
Location: Knox-Windham Gym | Fairfield, Ala.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

1^st        | Miles quickly gained a lead over the Falcons in the opening 20 minutes following a 11-2 run mid-way through. The Bears shot 7-of-12 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.
2^nd       | An 11-3 run in middle of the second half was enough for the Bears to keep UM at bay in route to a 21-point win. Miles continued a hot-shooting night from three and was 6-of-11 from deep in the second half.
 

GAME NOTES
 

• After being named the GSC Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week, Montevallo native MJ Jones led the Falcons, alongside Aidan Gardiner, as each scored a team-high 13 points.
• Miles held a plus-ten advantage on the boards, 38-28, that helped the Bears outscore UM 16-11 in second-chance points. Braxton Bertolette led the Falcons with six rebounds.
• Despite shooting 22.2 percent from deep as a team, Te Smith finished 2-of-5 from beyond-the-arc as the former Montevallo High School standout added 11 points off the bench.
• Miles featured three players with three made three-pointers Rodney Battle scored a team-high 17 points.
• Montevallo recorded an even assist-to-turnover ratio in the contest as James McNeil dished out five assists to go along with his seven points, three rebounds and two steals.
• Points-from-turnovers were even as each side registered six.
• The only lead changes of the contest came in the first half. Gardiner put the Falcons up 4-2 two minutes in before a layup gave Miles an 8-6 lead that would hold the rest of the way.

 
Up Next: UM looks to snap its losing streak with an in-state conference battle at home on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 4 p.m. against Alabama-Huntsville in Trustmark Arena.