MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat women's basketball team utilized a consistent performance to earn its first Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) triumph of the season with a 76-51 win over Johnson University-Tennessee in McAlister Gymnasium Saturday afternoon. After the victory, the Cavaliers improved to 2-3 (1-2 AAC) on the season.
 
Montreat, who led for the entirety of the competition, jumped out to a 5-0 advantage as the teams settled into the game. The Cavaliers used buckets by four different players to lead by four following the initial 10 minutes (16-12), spreading the ball effectively and registering four assists.
 
Expanding their advantage to double-digits, the Cavs started the second frame on a 12-6 stretch thanks to points from five different players. Three-point shooting helped Montreat continue to hold its lead at 10 points heading into the intermission as Aebri Graham and Jessyka Leak both connected on triples late in the second quarter to keep the Royals at bay.
 
The Cavaliers led 34-24 at the half, captained by Leak and Mariya Williams, who each recorded 10 points. Johnson had trouble keeping possession of the ball because of the Cavs' strong defensive effort. Montreat forced seven JU turnovers, which translated to 11 first-half Cavalier points.
 
"The challenge we gave our young ladies today was to come out and play a full forty minutes- they responded well," said head coach Tim Lewis. He continued, "I felt we showed improvement on the defensive end, which gave us momentum offensively."
 
In the third quarter, the Cavs scored their most points in a period (24) as the team extended its lead to as many as 18 in the frame. Six Montreat players got on the scoresheet over the 10-minute span, led by Caleigh Raby, who notched eight of her 15 points in the quarter. The Cavaliers shot 55.8 percent (10-18 FG) in the quarter, including a 4-of-9 showing from downtown, to go up 58-40 with 10 minutes to play.
 
Though the Cavs had an impressive shooting performance in the third quarter, Montreat topped its efficiency in the fourth, converting on seven of 11 attempts (63.6 percent) from the field to close out the contest. Williams added seven of her team-best 20 points in the final frame to complete the 25-point triumph. The Charlotte, N.C. native also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to tally her third straight double-double.
 
Leak, who concluded the afternoon with makes on four of six of her 3-pointers, finished with 18 points. All ten Cavs that saw playing time in the game scored at least two points and knocked down a field goal try.
 
"I thought we played good team ball today. Everyone who stepped on the court contributed to today's win. We were glad to get a win this afternoon," ended Lewis.
 
Women's basketball is back at home on Wednesday against Columbia College. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.