BARBOURVILLE, Ky.— The Montreat College women's basketball team went on the road to face off against the Union Commonwealth University Bulldogs in its Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opener on Wednesday. The Cavaliers overcame a six-point deficit at the half to come back and defeat the Bulldogs with a final score of 81-74. Following the game, the Cavs improved to 3-3 overall (1-0 AAC) while Union fell to 0-3 on the year (0-1 AAC).
Montreat got off to a strong start in the first quarter. A 3-pointer from Sarah Williams, along with a fast break layup from Ella Kate Walraven, helped the Cavs establish an early 6-0 lead. The Bulldogs responded to the early offense from the Cavaliers with an 8-0 scoring run, but some points in the paint from Bayleigh Winkler and Williams helped slow the onslaught from the home team. Coming to the midway point of the frame, the two teams found themselves at a 10-10 tie.
From there, the game became a back-and-forth affair with both sides trading the lead. Baskets in the paint from Rymiah Sanders and Se'Nai Camper, alongside multiple free throws from Sanders and Winkler, highlighted the offense for the visitors down the stretch. Utilizing a 3-pointer, Union claimed a 17-14 lead with three-and-a-half minutes to go. The hosts carried the advantage till the end of the period, closing the quarter with a score of 22-20.
Montreat opened the second frame looking to close the gap, as Samiah Mitchell cashed three free throws to narrow the hosts' lead to only 26-23. However, Union Commonwealth capitalized on turnovers and expanded its lead out to double digits. The Cavs responded with a critical 3-pointer from Williams, assisted by Ania Sands, to bring the score to 35-27 at the 5:39 mark.
Despite facing a hill to climb, Montreat continued to compete. The Cavaliers flexed their presence in the paint with baskets from Camper and Sands. They also maintained a great free-throw shooting performance, going 9-for-9 across the final five minutes of the first half. In the face of this, UCU stayed strong and preserved its edge for the entirety of the second quarter. The first half finished with a score of 46-40 and the home team holding the advantage.
The visitors opened the third quarter with a bang. A 3-pointer from Williams in the first 10 seconds of play, assisted by Camper, helped jump-start the Cavs' offense. Montreat ran with the momentum, putting in work down low. A fast break layup from Mitchell, coupled with three straight makes from Sanders, brought the game to a tense 53-53 tie with five minutes left to play in the third.
The Bulldogs were able to cash in on free throws down the stretch to fend off the charging Cavaliers. Ayanna Varela swished a free throw of her own with just one second left on the clock to put Montreat within two points of Union, closing the quarter at 59-57 in favor of UCU.
Surging in the fourth quarter, the away side opened things up with a pivotal layup from Camper, followed by back-to-back jumpers from Williams. The spurt propelled the Cavs to a 63-61 edge, their first lead since the opening period. Montreat continued to build momentum by capitalizing on key turnovers and solid defensive rebounding.
As the quarter advanced, the Cavaliers only continued to extend their advantage, highlighted by Varela's offensive rebound and tip-in to give Montreat a one-point lead at 67-66. The Cavs' defense was superb down the stretch, not surrendering the lead for the final 6:20 of regulation.
Montreat closed the quarter strongly, converting eight points in the paint along with Camper and Williams combining for four successful free throws in the final seconds. The contributions helped to ensure an 81-74 AAC road victory. The fourth quarter ended with the Cavaliers outscoring UCU 24-15, solidifying the win.
"We faced a lot of adversity tonight, but I'm so proud of our group for fighting back and picking up the road conference win," said head coach Jamie Moore. "What I love about our group is they are tough, and they are selfless."
On the night, the Cavs shot 41.9 percent overall (26-62 FG) and 20.0 percent from deep (3-15 3-pt FG). Defensively, Montreat held Union Commonwealth to shooting 35.1 percent overall (26-74 FG) and 33.3 percent from three (8-24 3-pt FG). The Bulldogs held the advantage in assists (19-14), steals (11-7) and narrowly in rebounds (49-48). The Cavaliers owned the edge in makes at the free-throw line (26-14).
Williams posted her first career double-double, leading the team in points (22) and rebounds (11). Sanders added 20 points on the offensive side but also contributed defensively with three steals. Camper and Mitchell found their way into double digits as well, with the former scoring 13 points and the latter tacking on 10 points. Sands rounded out the offense for the Cavs with a team-leading five assists.
Looking ahead, Montreat will stay on the road to face Columbia International University in another AAC matchup. The game is scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19 in Columbia, S.C.
