MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat women's basketball team saw its three-game winning streak come to an end on the road on Wednesday night in an Appalachian Athletic Conference battle with the Bluefield University Rams, dropping the contest by a 76-47 scoreline. With the defeat, the Cavaliers fell to 10-10 (7-8 AAC) this year.
 
Bluefield (8-9, 8-7 AAC) set the tone for the evening early, using dribble penetration to get shots around the basket and free up shooters along the perimeter. The Rams scored 20 of the game's first 24 points, shooting an efficient 8-for-12 from the floor. Meanwhile, Montreat struggled to hit from the field early, missing on nine of its first 11 looks. Bluefield closed out the opening period with a 24-6 lead.
 
Tatiyana Cannon and Destiny Lewis drilled a couple of 3-pointers early in the second quarter to help the Cavs hang around, but Bluefield managed to answer each Cavs' run with a stretch of its own. A 9-0 run pushed the Rams ahead by 28 points (40-12) with 3:46 remaining in the half. Montreat responded with a 7-0 run, courtesy of two layups by Caleigh Raby and Ja'Liah Wilson, as well as a Jessyka Leak 3-pointer, but the Rams closed the half with a surge to lead 48-21 at the break.
 
Bluefield converted its shot attempts at a 63.6 percent clip (21-33 FG) in the first half, made 40.0 percent of its 3-point looks (2-5 3pt FG) and went a perfect 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. The Cavaliers connected on 27.3 percent (9-33 FG) of its shots, 21.4 percent of its 3-pointers (3-14 3pt FG) and neither of its two free throw attempts. The Rams outrebounded the Cavs by 12 (23-11) through 20 minutes of play. Cannon paced the Cavaliers with five points, and Raby did the same with four boards.
 
Raby opened the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers to stem the tide early on, but the Rams had another run waiting. A Cannon free throw broke up an 8-0 Bluefield run, but by that point, BU had extended its lead out to 64-28. Vaniyah Petty closed out the third quarter for the Cavaliers with a pair of free throws, and Bluefield took a 66-30 lead entering the final frame.
 
The Cavaliers were the more aggressive of the two teams in the fourth quarter, putting together their best frame on both sides of the court. Not only did Montreat outscore Bluefield 17-10 over the final 10 minutes, but the Cavaliers also drove to the basket and earned a plethora of trips to the free throw line, taking 19 attempts in the fourth quarter alone. Despite the strong finish, the Cavaliers fell at Bluefield, 76-47.
 
Bluefield shot 57.1 percent overall (32-56 FG) on the night, hitting four of its 12 3-point tries (33.3 percent) and all eight of its free throw attempts. The Cavaliers managed to shoot 25.9 percent from the field (15-58 FG), including 5-of-21 from deep (23.8 percent) and 48.0 percent (12-25 FT) at the line. BU outrebound Montreat by 14 (42-28), while Montreat committed six fewer turnovers (16-10).
 
Raby led the Cavaliers in scoring for the 11^th instance this season, scoring 14 points in the effort. Petty joined her in double figures, pouring in 10 points, while Cannon tied her career high in scoring with six points. Petty proved to also be the team leader in rebounds with five boards, and Wilson and Lewis paced Montreat with two assists each.
 
Montreat women's basketball returns home for its next game on Saturday against the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium.