MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat women's basketball team played its second game in three days when it hosted the Johnson University (Tenn.) Royals inside McAlister Gymnasium Thursday night. Despite the quick turnaround, the Cavaliers showed no signs of tired legs, never trailed their opponent and got right back in the win column with a 65-56 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) victory. With the triumph, the Cavs improved to 16-8 (14-8 AAC) on the season and 9-2 inside McAlister Gym.
 
Making her first career start, Ja'Liah Wilson set the tone early in the initial quarter of play. The third-year athlete from Martinsville, Va. notched a pair of steals, grabbed two rebounds, registered a block and scored a bucket as the Cavs tallied the opening six points of the contest less than three minutes in. The Cavaliers started the night 3-for-5, while the Royals didn't make their first basket until their fifth attempt of the night.
 
Despite the quick start, Johnson eventually erased its deficit with a pair of 3-pointers, tying the game at 15 in the process; however, Montreat was quick to answer. Makayla Thompson and Tatiyana Cannon knocked down long-range shots, and Adrianna Gullette buried a jumper in the waning seconds to end the quarter on an 8-0 run and give the hosts a 23-15 edge after 10 minutes of action.
 
Johnson (8-16, 6-15 AAC) started the second quarter with a pair of baskets, but the Cavalier defense forced its counterpart to shoot just 2-for-10 midway through the frame. Meanwhile, a 7-0 spurt powered by an Aebri Graham triple and 2-point buckets from Wilson and Thompson saw the Cavs take the game's first double-digit lead at 30-19; however, it didn't last long as Montreat failed to score over the final 4:08 of the half. Johnson, which experienced a 3:50 scoring drought of its own, utilized a jumper and a 3-pointer with six seconds left to essentially halve their deficit and enter halftime down just 30-24.
 
After shooting 57.1 percent in the first quarter (8-14 FG), the Cavs converted at just a 23.1-percent clip in the second frame (23.1 percent). Even so, the Cavaliers outshot the Royals in the half, connecting on 11 of their 27 overall shot attempts (40.7 percent) and four of their 13 looks from deep (30.8 percent). Montreat also went a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. On the other side, the Royals shot 33.3 percent from the field (10-30 FG) and 23.5 percent from beyond the arc (4-17 3-pt FG). Johnson did not attempt a free throw in the initial half of action, and Montreat held a 19-16 rebound edge at the break. Gullette paced Montreat prior to intermission with 10 points and four assists, while Vaniyah Petty hauled in a half-high six boards.
 
Montreat's scoring drought carried over from the second quarter and lasted a total of 7:38 as Johnson played solid defense. Eventually, Thompson ended the scoreless streak and went on a 5-0 spurt of her own as the Cavs led by nine points (35-26) midway through the third quarter. The Royals utilized a couple of 3-pointers to trim the gap to 38-36 late in the frame, but a 7-0 Cavalier run powered by two Cannon triples and a Gullette free throw in just 60 seconds put the hosts back up nine (45-36) with just 10 minutes to play.
 
Cannon's fifth 3-pointer of the night paired with a Gullette elbow jumper put Montreat ahead by 12 points, giving the hosts their largest lead of the night less than three minutes into the quarter (50-38). Coupled with a locked-in defensive effort that kept Johnson scoreless for 4:23 midway through the period, the Cavaliers saw out the edge and claimed their ninth home win of the season with a 65-56 victory.
 
"Tonight was a big win for us," said head coach Josh Thompson. "This time of year, every game is important, and I was happy with our effort on the defensive end. Different people continue to step up each game and help us win. It was a great team effort."
 
While the Royals ended the night with a better overall shooting percentage (21-56 FG; 37.5 percent) compared to the Cavaliers' 36.5-percent effort (19-52 FG), the home side utilized a more efficient night from beyond the arc (8-22 3-pt FG; 36.4 percent) than their counterparts (10-34 3-pt FG; 29.4 percent) to help clinch the victory. Montreat also had a sizable advantage at the free-throw line, attempting 22 more free throws (26-4) and making 15 more (19-4). The Cavs also finished the night with slight edges in rebounding (35-33) and forced turnovers (14-9).
 
Gullette captained all players with 23 points and a career-high six assists. Cannon (15 points) and Thompson (13 points) joined their teammate in double figures in scoring, and Petty grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Cierra Lail hauled in a career-high eight rebounds, and Wilson matched her career-best total with six boards.
 
The Montreat women's basketball team hosts another AAC matchup on Saturday against the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs. Tipoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium.