MILLIGAN, Tenn.— Despite an improved final three quarters, a slow start cost the Montreat women's basketball team on the road against the Milligan University Buffaloes Saturday afternoon. The Cavs, who dropped the contest by a slim 83-75 margin, fell in their sixth straight game and moved to 11-16 (8-13 AAC) on the season.
 
Montreat missed its initial 12 attempts in the opening frame, resulting in a 16-0 stretch from the Buffaloes to start the game. Alaina McPherson scored four points and Jessyka Leak added three, but a 14.3 percent (3-21 FG) shooting period hampered the Cavs, who went down 23-7 after 10 minutes.
 
The Cavaliers improved drastically in the next frame, connecting on 11 of 17 tries from the field, including a 3-for-5 effort from deep to score 28 points. Caleigh Raby notched 10 points in the second quarter alone, while Tatiyana Cannon used two 3-pointers to score eight in the quarter. Milligan used a more efficient period, knocking down 12 of 15 shots, to best the Cavs by two in the 10-minute span (30-28) and lead 53-35 at the half.
 
The visitors continued to press forward in the final two quarters, outscoring the Buffaloes 17-16 in the third before eventually recording 23 points to MU's 14 in the final frame. In the third, Leak spearheaded an 11-2 run that saw Montreat pull within 14 with 2:15 left. The Charlotte, N.C. native scored all nine of her third-quarter points during the span of 4:16 as the team looked to overcome the early deficit, trailing 69-52 through 30 minutes.
 
Down 21 (73-52) only 1:04 into the fourth, Leak, McPherson and Raby led the Cavaliers on an 11-0 spurt capped off by a Triniti Lockhart layup to bring the team within 10 (73-63) with 6:23 left in regulation. Although the Cavs made the difference between the squads 10 points five times in the final frame, and a layup by Raby trimmed Milligan's edge to eight with 16 seconds remaining in the contest, Montreat ultimately fell 83-75.
 
Raby and Leak both scored 20 points to lead the Cavaliers, while Halie Padgett harmed the visitors in the paint with a 31-point, 10-rebound double-double. McPherson ended as the third and final Cavalier in double-digits with 11 points. Destiny Lewis captained the Cavs on the boards, registering seven rebounds.
 
Overall, Montreat bounced back to shoot 40.5 percent (30-74 FG) on the day thanks to the 11-17 FG performance in the second and an impressive 9-18 FG showing in the last quarter. The Cavaliers connected on five of their 22 3-point tries (22.7 percent) and 10 of 15 free throws (66.7 percent). Milligan (18-7, 18-2 AAC) drained 50.8 percent (30-59 FG) of their shots, including 25.0 percent (5-20 FG) from three, while going 18-of-24 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe.
 
Women's basketball returns to play with a road competition at Columbia on Monday. Tipoff in South Carolina is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.