KINGSPORT, Tenn.— The Montreat College women's basketball team delivered a statement performance in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament on Wednesday afternoon, defeating eighth-seeded Columbia College 65-59 at the MeadowView Convention Resort & Convention Center. After battling through a tightly-contested first half, the ninth-seeded Cavaliers erupted out of the break with a dominant third-quarter surge to secure their Opening Round victory. With the win, Montreat improved to 11-16 on the season, while Columbia closed its campaign at 13-16.
Montreat set the tone early, as Sarah Williams buried a 3-pointer just 16 seconds into the contest off an assist from Ania Sands. The Cavs continued to push the pace in transition, converting defensive stops into early scoring opportunities. Rymiah Sanders finished strong at the rim on a fast break sequence to trim Columbia's lead to 7-5, and Williams later connected on a jumper to briefly put Montreat back in front, 10-9. Tresalyn Roberts added two free throws in the closing minutes, but despite a solid defensive effort, highlighted by Roberts' presence on the glass, the Cavaliers trailed 16-14 at the end of the opening quarter.
The second frame remained tightly contested. Trinety Dajuste opened the scoring with a jumper off another assist from Sands to even the score at 16-16, and both Ella Kate Walraven and Bayleigh Winkler followed with buckets to give Montreat a four-point edge midway through the period (20-16). Columbia responded with a 9-0 run, using timely perimeter shooting and free throws to reclaim momentum. The Koalas carried a 29-24 advantage into halftime as both teams continued to trade defensive stops.
The game shifted dramatically in the third quarter. Montreat came out with renewed intensity, ignited by a Williams jumper just 15 seconds into the period to cut the deficit to three. Defensive pressure became key, as the Cavs forced eight turnovers in the frame and converted those opportunities into transition points. An explosive 18-3 run flipped the scoreboard and firmly placed Montreat in control. Balanced scoring and relentless defensive effort powered a 31-point quarter, giving the eighth-seeded Cavaliers a commanding 55-41 lead entering the final period.
Montreat maintained its composure in the fourth quarter, executing efficiently on both ends to withstand Columbia's late push. Ayanna Varela provided timely scoring inside, while Sanders added crucial free throws to extend the margin out to 61-45 midway through the period. The Koalas attempted to rally behind transition baskets and perimeter shooting, but the Cavs answered with poised possessions and key defensive rebounds down the stretch. When the final buzzer sounded, Montreat secured the 65-59 victory.
"We have a lot of freshmen, and in the first half, you could see some of that tension," said Head Coach Jamie Moore. "It took them a moment to settle down and embrace it. We told them to just go out there and play, don't be uptight."
Montreat finished the afternoon shooting 40.3 percent from the field (27-67 FG), 30.4 percent from 3-point range (7-23 3-pt FG) and 50.0 percent from the free-throw line (4-8 FT). Defensively, the Cavaliers limited Columbia to 34.4 percent shooting (22-of-64 FG), 20.0 percent from beyond the arc (6-of-30 3-pt FG) and 69.2 percent from the line (9-13 FT). Montreat held advantages in assists (17-12), turnovers forced (16-9), steals (7-6) and points off turnovers (23-10) points in the paint (34–24).
Sanders and Williams paced the offense with 17 points apiece, while Roberts controlled the glass with nine rebounds to go along with eight points. Sands facilitated the attack with four assists, continuing to steady the tempo throughout the contest.
Looking ahead, Montreat will face (RV) Milligan University on Thursday, Feb. 26, in the quarterfinal round of the AAC Tournament. The 12 p.m. matchup will once again take place at the MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn.
