[Women's Basketball] Lady Cavs' season ends in AAC Tourney quarterfinals

MONTREAT, N.C. – After being picked to finish 10th in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Preseason Poll, women's basketball defied the odds and made a run in the AAC Tournament in Kingsport, Tenn. last week.

The eighth-seeded Lady Cavaliers faced top seed Bryan College in the quarterfinals on Thursday, falling 77-52 to finish their season with an overall record of 13-17, six more wins than last year.

"We played a strong first half, but struggled to score in the third quarter," said head coach Tim Lewis. "We had defensive lapses that Bryan was able to take advantage of. However, I am proud of how we offensively rebounded the ball, finishing with 17 offensive boards."

Free throws made the difference in the opening frame as the Lions were a perfect 12-of-12 from the charity stripe despite being held to 3-of-15 from the field. A span of eight-straight free throws pushed Bryan's lead to double digits in the last two minutes of the first quarter.

A 9-0 run from the Lady Cavs in the second period pulled the squad within five points before a 6-0 run put their deficit at just two. Montreat outscored Bryan 22-17 in the period to enter the locker room down by four at the half.

Bryan opened the third quarter on a 16-0 run that Montreat could not recover from, as the Lady Cavs were cold on the floor until the final two minutes and overall were outscored 22-4 in the frame. Bryan used this period to coast to a quarterfinal victory.

Arianna Williams was the lone Lady Cav to score in double-figures, posting a game-high 19 points. Darah DeWalt led her squad with seven rebounds while five Lady Cavs pulled down a trio of their own boards.

After defeating the Lady Cavs, the Lions would go on to beat Reinhardt and Tennessee Wesleyan en route to winning their third straight conference tournament title with an undefeated league record.

"One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to reach the tournament, and we did. Our seniors helped lay a foundation for our program moving forward, and I appreciate their commitment and hard work. Our returners were able to get a taste of what it takes to play in this conference, and we will continue to build," said Coach Lewis. "We're thankful for the support of our fans throughout the season, and look forward to what the future holds for Montreat women's basketball."

Up Next: The Lady Cavs will look to continue their improvements in the offseason and come back stronger next fall.