KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— The Montreat women's basketball team wrapped up its 2023-24 regular season Wednesday evening with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) battle in Knoxville, Tenn. Squaring off against the Johnson University Royals, the Cavaliers suffered a 56-51 defeat at the hands of the hosts, falling to 16-12 overall and 13-9 in conference action.
Defense proved to be the story in the game's initial quarter as the Cavs made life difficult for the JU offense. The Royals scored just three points in the frame and missed 12 of their 13 shot attempts (7.7 percent) against the Montreat defense. The visitors also forced six turnovers while utilizing a pair of
Virginia Edmondson 3-pointers and
Rymiah Sanders layups to claim a 12-3 lead by the period's conclusion.
Johnson (17-10, 15-6 AAC) flipped the script in the second quarter, outscoring the Cavaliers by nine (16-7) to enter the break tied up at 19-19. After
Madison Cole pushed Montreat's lead out to 14-3, the hosts relied on their perimeter shooting to erase the deficit. JU drained a trio of triples during a 14-3 run of its own to even the score at 17 prior to the 19-19 halftime scoreline.
Montreat owned a slightly better shooting percentage through 20 minutes (27.6 to 25.0), but the Royals connected on twice as many shots from beyond the arc (4-2) and racked up a 4-1 edge in blocks. Edmondson either led or matched all players for the halftime lead in both points (8) and rebounds (5).
JU swiftly seized its first lead of the matchup by opening the third quarter on a 7-0 run. The home side's seventh 3-pointer of the evening established its largest lead of the night (32-23) midway through the frame, but the Cavs quickly pulled back within 32-31 thanks to an 8-0 run in which
Katie Alexander poured in five points. Despite the late push, Johnson's eighth triple halted the visitors' run, and the Royals maintained a 4-point advantage (37-33) with 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
Grace Rinaldo and JU traded 3-point baskets early in the fourth as the Cavaliers attempted to close the gap.
Vaniyah Petty and Sanders trimmed the deficit to 50-48 with 1:32 remaining, and Edmondson's long-range strike suddenly brought the score to 52-51 with under a minute to go. A 3-point foul in the closing seconds allowed Montreat the chance to tie the score at 54 if it could make all three free throws, but the visitors came up empty on each try. Two late Royals' free throws sealed the battle as they ultimately captured a 56-51 AAC triumph.
Johnson ended the night shooting 18-for-53 (34.0 percent) overall while making nine of its 27 3-point attempts (33.3 percent) and 11 of its 12 looks at the free-throw line (91.7 percent). On the other side, the Cavs finished the contest at 33.3 percent (20-60 FG) from the field and 15.4 percent (4-26 3-pt FG) from deep. The Royals also hauled in more rebounds (43-36), but Montreat forced more turnovers (19-13) and registered more steals (11-4).
Sanders paced the Cavaliers with 14 points, while Edmondson notched her first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Edmondson also dished out a team-best three assists in the defeat, and Sanders totaled a career-high seven steals.
The Montreat women's basketball team now turns its attention to the AAC Tournament and a bracket in which it enters as the No. 6 seed for the second consecutive season. As the sixth seed, the Cavaliers bypass the opening round and move right into the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 29 at the Marriott MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn.
