KINGSPORT, Tenn.— In a rematch from last season's Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament, the sixth-seeded Montreat women's basketball team once again went head-to-head with the No. 3-seed Milligan University Buffaloes in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. As the two sides battled at the MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center Thursday night, the Cavaliers couldn't replicate their upset from last year, falling by a 61-46 scoreline and ending their season with a 16-13 record.
Grace Rinaldo opened the game with a 3-point basket, and she tacked on another triple a few minutes later to put the Cavs in front, 8-5, midway through the initial quarter; however, in a frame that featured five lead changes, it was the Buffaloes who scored the final four points to own a 13-10 lead following a defensive first period.
Milligan (23-6) controlled the second quarter from start to finish, outscoring Montreat 12-4 as it took an 11-point advantage into halftime. The designated home team poured in the initial seven points of the frame, capping off an 11-0 run that began late in the first quarter. Rinaldo and
Rymiah Sanders each notched a bucket, but MU expanded its lead to 25-14 prior to the intermission.
The Buffaloes outshot the Cavs through 20 minutes of action thanks to a 39.3 percent showing from the floor (11-28 FG) and a 2-for-9 effort from deep (22.2 percent). Meanwhile, Montreat made just six of its 29 tries from the field (20.7 percent) and 18.2 percent of its 3-point looks (2-11 3-pt FG). MU also owned edges in rebounds (28-13), second-chance points (7-0) and points in the paint (16-6). Ronaldo paced the Cavaliers with eight points and three rebounds.
Madison Cole sparked a Montreat run that brought the away team within five points halfway through the third quarter. The freshman from Gastonia, N.C. tallied six of Montreat's first eight points in the frame, and both Sanders and
Virginia Edmondson contributed 2-point baskets to trim the deficit down to 31-26 with 3:23 left in the period. Despite the Cavs' surge in momentum, Milligan landed a counterpunch, scoring seven of the last eight points to lead 38-27 through three.
Cole proved responsible for the Cavaliers' initial three points in the final quarter, but she couldn't overcome the Buffaloes' offensive push. Milligan opened the frame on a 10-3 run, sprinting out to a 48-30 advantage with 5:55 remaining in regulation. From there, the home side melted away the clock on its path to a 61-46 quarterfinal triumph.
Both teams improved on their shooting percentages in the second half as MU ended the night 24-of-56 overall (42.9 percent) and the Cavs finished 19-for-63 (30.2 percent). The Buffs dominated the glass (54-26), which aided them in their pursuit of recording more second-chance points (13-6) and points in the paint (34-28). Montreat committed significantly less turnovers than its counterpart (21-7), and it translated those extra possessions into a 14-0 advantage in points off turnovers.
Sanders and Cole each scored 11 points to lead the Cavaliers, while Edmondson grabbed a team-best six rebounds. Rinaldo totaled a pair of blocks, and Cole racked up four steals in the defeat.
Following the AAC Tournament loss, the Montreat women's basketball team concludes its 2023-24 season with a 16-13 record.
