ASHEVILLE, N.C.— The Montreat women's basketball team played host to the Truett McConnell University Bears on Saturday for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) affair inside Kimmel Arena. Overcoming a slow start and a slight halftime deficit, the Cavaliers found their groove as the contest progressed before ultimately claiming a 63-53 triumph. With its fourth consecutive win, Montreat climbed to 9-4 overall and 6-2 in league play.
Truett McConnell (6-7, 4-4 AAC) controlled the opening quarter thanks to a strong start on both ends of the floor. The Bears notched the game's initial eight points, and they held the Cavs to just 3-for-14 shooting in the frame (21.4 percent). Coupled with nine Montreat turnovers, TMU maintained a 14-9 edge through 10 minutes of action.
Rymiah Sanders tallied eight points during the second quarter, while
Katie Alexander and
Ayanna Varela contributed five points apiece. Both sides shot 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) in the frame, but the hosts drained one additional triple (3-2) and two extra free throws (3-1) to close the gap. By the time the intermission rolled around, the Bears' lead stood merely at 31-29.
A defensive third period saw Montreat seize its initial lead of the day.
Virginia Edmondson rattled off a personal 6-0 run that put the home team in front, 35-31, just 3:22 into the second half. The Goldsboro, N.C. native recorded all nine Cavalier points in the quarter, and her squad surrendered only six points in total. As a result, the Cavs entered the final frame up by a point (38-37).
Edmondson and Varela combined for an 11-2 run in the fourth, and the hosts erupted for 25 points in the quarter. With the tandem providing strong play down the stretch, the Cavaliers were able to seal their sixth win at home and their fourth straight victory overall, 63-53.
"Tonight wasn't our best night," said head coach
Jamie Moore. "We struggled with their post at times and never seemed to get into a flow, but our group dug deep and handled business. I was proud of
Vaniyah Petty for stepping up on defense and
Ayanna Varela for having a big offensive presence. We have a big week coming up, and it was good to come out with the win."
The Cavs went 21-for-59 from the field (35.6 percent), 7-of-17 from beyond the arc (41.2 percent) and 14-for-19 at the charity stripe (73.7 percent). Meanwhile, the visitors shot 36.4 percent overall (20-55 FG), 25.0 percent from deep (5-20 3-pt FG) and 50.0 percent at the line (8-16 FT). Each team struggled with turnovers for stretches, but Montreat had a significant advantage in points off those miscues (23-6). The Cavaliers also totaled more rebounds (40-38), more assists (15-11) and more fast break points (17-2).
Edmondson led the home side with 22 points and eight rebounds. Varela accumulated career-highs in both points (15) and boards (7). Sanders also reached double-figures in scoring with 12 points, and Alexander paced all players with eight assists.
Montreat is right back at Kimmel Arena on Tuesday when it welcomes Columbia College to town for another conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Asheville, N.C.
