MONTREAT, N.C.— In their final home contest of 2021, the Montreat women's basketball program dropped a tight 70-67 battle against the Union College Bulldogs Wednesday evening. With the loss, the Cavaliers fell to 7-6 overall and 4-5 in Appalachian Athletic Contest (AAC) play.
 
Montreat got off to a quick start against Union, scoring seven of the first nine points, five of which came from the right hand of Destiny Lewis. The Bulldogs were quick to answer, however, taking their first lead of the game (8-7) with 4:52 remaining in the opening quarter. Triniti Lockhart scored the final five Montreat points of the period, but the Cavs entered the second quarter trailing by two (14-12).
 
Both defenses held the upper hand early through the second quarter as the two offenses combined for just 11 points in 6:42. Union (8-3, 5-3 AAC) started to gain the edge late, grabbing their largest lead of the first half (28-22) thanks to nine quick Brooke Hammonds points in the paint and at the free throw line. As quickly as Hammonds pushed the Bulldogs ahead, the Cavaliers erased the deficit with a 7-0 run over the final 46 seconds to lead at the half, 29-28.
 
The Cavaliers held the lead at halftime thanks to 11 offensive rebounds and 18 points in the paint. While the Cavaliers shot 10 percent worse from the field than Union (43-33 percent), those offensive rebounds translated into eight more shot attempts. Montreat's first-half scoring was balanced across eight players, led by Jessyka Leak's six points. Leak also led the Cavs with four rebounds and four assists in 17 minutes played.
 
Union's most complete quarter of the game came in the third frame. The Bulldogs defense held the Cavaliers to just 12 points, but the offense took a little bit longer to get going. Then, over the final two and a half minutes of the third quarter, the Bulldogs utilized a 7-0 run to jump out to a 49-41 edge. Union shot 70 percent (7-10 FG) from the floor, while getting to the free throw line seven times during the 10-minute span.
 
Trailing by eight, the Cavaliers needed to close the gap quickly. Leak, Caleigh Raby and Mariya Williams combined for 19 of Montreat's 26 points in the fourth quarter, and they kept Montreat within shouting distance. The Cavs kept chipping away at the Union lead, whittling the deficit to just a single possession on six occasions; however, the Bulldogs hit their free throws late, connecting on nine of their 10 attempts to fend off the Cavaliers, 70-67.
 
"When you're playing against a good team, the margin of error is slim, and they make you pay for it," said head coach Tim Lewis. "Yes, it's tough to lose by a single possession, and as competitors…it should hurt. We will continue to keep improving each game."
 
The Cavaliers took 19 more shots than Union, but converted on just 38 percent of their total attempts (27-71 FG). Meanwhile, Montreat translated 19 Union turnovers into 28 points and 22 offensive rebounds into 18 second-chance points. Leak nearly recorded a triple-double, stuffing the stat sheet to the tune of 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Raby added double digits in scoring with 15 points, while Mariya Williams achieved a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Williams also led the Cavs with five steals.
 
Lewis added, "Another hard-fought battle by our team tonight until the last horn. I'm proud of them for that. They didn't give up and laid it all out."
 
Montreat women's basketball plays its final conference game in 2021 on Saturday at Bryan College. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. in Dayton, Tenn.