MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat women's basketball team hosted the Brenau University Golden Tigers in an Appalachian Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon inside McAlister Gymnasium. Montreat dominated the glass on both ends of the floor, tying a season-high with 55 rebounds en route to a 69-51 victory. With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 9-9 (6-7 AAC) on the season.
 
Brenau scored on the first possession of the contest after winning the opening tip, but it wasn't an indicator of how the initial 10 minutes would play out. After the opening Golden Tigers basket, the Cavaliers tightened up defensively and attacked the paint with tenacity on offense. Montreat outscored Brenau by nine points (16-7) over the next nine and a half minutes with 10 of those Cavalier points coming inside the paint.
 
Trailing 16-9 entering the second quarter, it was Brenau's turn to get the ball into the post and score in the paint. The Golden Tigers made three layups and cut the Cavaliers lead to a single point just three minutes into the period. Despite the shrinking lead, the Cavs weren't fazed. A pair of offensive rebounds and two steals proved to be the catalyst for an 8-0 Montreat run, restoring the Cavs' largest lead of the half to nine points (27-18). Brenau hit a couple of triples late in the quarter to trim the deficit, but Montreat entered halftime with a 29-24 lead.
 
Both teams struggled to convert consistently from the floor in the first half, with Montreat shooting 34.3 percent (12-35 FG) and the Golden Tigers connecting at a 33.3 percent clip (9-27 FG). A significant rebounding edge aided Montreat through the opening 20 minutes of action as the Cavs out-rebounded the Golden Tigers by 16 (29-13), which included a 10-rebound advantage on the offensive glass (12-2). Caleigh Raby, who scored 10 of Montreat's first 19 points, was the only player for either side to reach double figures in scoring through two quarters, pouring in 12 points. Vaniyah Petty added six points and five boards, while Jessyka Leak and Destiny Lewis contributed six and five rebounds, respectively.
 
In similar fashion to the opening quarter, Brenau (4-9, 3-8 AAC) started the frame with a bucket followed by a strong Montreat push. The Cavaliers, once again attacking the offensive glass, had six second-chance points through four minutes of action. Tatiyana Cannon, Alaina McPherson and Lewis all utilized offensive rebounds and putback baskets to give Montreat its first double-digit lead of the afternoon. Brenau's defense sparked a 6-0 run, but Petty, Raby and Lewis all answered with baskets to give the Cavs their largest lead through three quarters at 52-36.
 
Riding the momentum from the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers quickly established their largest lead of the game. After Lewis and Petty pushed the advantage out to 18 points, Aebri Graham's old-fashioned three-point play and a Leak triple staked the Montreat lead out to 22 points (62-40). Montreat's only deficit of the afternoon came on the game's opening bucket as the Cavaliers closed out the fourth quarter and cruised to a 69-51 AAC win.
 
"Our staff was proud of the energy and defensive effort our team brought today," said head coach Tim Lewis. "We will keep improving and let the rest take care of itself."
 
While both teams shot under 40 percent for the contest, Montreat's dominance on the glass led to 18 more shot attempts for the Cavaliers. Montreat made 25 of its 69 field goal attempts (36.2 percent) and five of its 19 3-pointers (26.3), while Brenau hit on 20 of its 51 shots from the floor (39.2 percent) and three of its 15 takes from behind the arc (20.0 percent). The Cavaliers grabbed 55 rebounds overall in the contest, tying their season-high, and 25 offensive rebounds, which fell one shy of matching their season-best mark.
 
Raby, who scored 20 points on the afternoon, led Montreat in scoring for the ninth time this season. Petty recorded a career-high in points with 14, as well as her second-career double-double with 10 rebounds. Lewis, who also added 14 points for the Cavaliers, registered a career-high in rebounds with 11 and her first double-double as a Cav. Lewis and Leak both paced Montreat in assists (3) and boards (11).
 
"We had players who stepped up and did the little things to help the team," Lewis added.
 
The Montreat women's basketball team is back in action on Monday when it hosts the St. Andrews University Knights. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium.