MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat women's basketball team opened a 4-game homestand Thursday night by hosting the Brenau University Golden Tigers inside McAlister Gymnasium. Utilizing a stellar defensive effort and a substantial rebounding edge, the Cavaliers started their homestand with a 53-48 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) win. With their fourth consecutive win, the Cavs improved to 5-1 at home and 12-5 (10-5 AAC) overall.
 
Neither team found a consistent offensive rhythm from the field in the initial quarter of play. Brenau shot 25.0 percent in the frame (3-12 FG), which proved to be the better effort between the two sides. Despite a 2-of-15 showing from the field, the Cavaliers ended the first quarter with a 9-8 lead by going 5-for-7 at the charity stripe and by converting three Golden Tiger turnovers into five points.
 
The Cavaliers outscored the visitors in a low-scoring second quarter as well. Adrianna Gullette buried three early jumpers, and Vaniyah Petty connected on a basket to cap off an 8-2 spurt that put Montreat ahead by four points (17-13) with 5:41 remaining in the half. While the Cavs didn't score over a 5:37 stretch in the latter portion of the period, a strong defensive showing repeatedly limited Brenau to empty possessions. Montreat forced six turnovers in the second quarter, and Gullette hit a jumper with less than two seconds left to give the hosts a 19-15 halftime lead. Gullette led all scorers in the opening half with 11 points.
 
Montreat went 0-for-4 from deep in the initial 20 minutes of action while its counterpart shot 3-of-9 from behind the arc. Despite the 3-point disparity, the Cavs shot slightly better overall at 25.9 percent (7-27 FG) compared to Brenau's 25.0-percent effort (6-24 FG). Brenau also failed to connect at the charity stripe (0-3 FT) while the Cavs made five of their seven tries at the line (71.4 percent). Petty paced all athletes with eight first-half rebounds to go along with her four points.
 
Defense and rebounding helped the Cavaliers double up Brenau in the third quarter (14-7). Petty and Gullette scored the first five points of the frame while the hosts simultaneously held the Golden Tigers scoreless for nearly five full minutes. After a visiting team bucket, Montreat used a flurry of offensive rebounds to spur an 8-0 run which was capped off by Tatiyana Cannon drilling the Cavs' first 3-pointer of the night to extend the lead to 32-17. By quarter's end, Montreat had grabbed seven offensive boards, held the Golden Tigers to 3-of-18 shooting and seized a 33-22 lead.
 
Mariya Williams continued the Cavalier momentum with eight quick points thanks in large part to a pair of 3-point plays. With two points from Petty mixed in, Montreat matched its largest lead of the night at 43-28 with just 6:37 left in the ballgame. Brenau (4-14, 3-13 AAC) made a late charge with a 17-5 run over the closing minutes, but the hosts held off the Golden Tigers and claimed their fourth straight win, 53-48.
 
"Brenau has had a lot of close games, and I knew they would be a dangerous team coming in," said head coach Josh Thompson. "I'm glad we got the win, and I'm proud of the character my team is showing."
 
Each team made 16 shots during the contest, with the Cavaliers doing so on 53 attempts (30.2 percent) and the Golden Tigers doing so on 56 tries (28.6 percent). Brenau shot 36.8 percent from 3-point range (7-19 3-pt FG) compared to Montreat's 1-for-9 showing (11.1 percent), but the Cavs had the far more successful night at the free-throw line by hitting 20 of its 28 attempts (71.4 percent) versus the visitors' 52.9-percent clip (9-17 FT). The Cavaliers dominated the glass with a 48-37 rebounding edge that featured 16 offensive rebounds.
 
Gullette led all scorers with 22 points, and she also contributed seven boards and a team-high two assists. Petty and Williams tallied double-doubles on the night, with Petty scoring 13 points and matching her career-high of 16 rebounds, and Williams totaling 12 points and 11 boards. Gullette, Petty and Williams combined for 47 of Montreat's 53 points (88.7 percent).
 
The Montreat women's basketball team continues its homestand on Saturday against the Columbia International University Rams. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. inside McAlister Gym.