CLEVELAND, Ga. (December 2, 2023) – The Truett McConnell University women's basketball team hosted Appalachian Athletic Conference competitor Montreat College on Saturday, where the Lady Bears performed at a high level to secure their first home win of the season and hand the Cavaliers their first conference loss with a score of 58-47, inside the Benjamin F. Brady Arena. TMU improves their record to 2-7, 2-4 AAC, while Montreat falls to a record of 6-4, 4-1 AAC.
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Lady Bears hit the board first with a Mahalah Stewart shot in the paint, while Montreat immediately followed with a shot at the three-point arc to take the lead. Back-to-back three-pointers by Ava Queen gave TMU some speed, while a layup by Dobbs, two good free throws and three good free throws from Brinkley Kate Reed put the Lady Bear up by nine (15-6). TMU remained in control at the start of the second quarter with a good free throw by Sydnie Smith and Stewart, along with shots in the paint by Alexis Brewster and Stewart (21-6). Montreat went on to record a strong run in efforts of decreasing the gap, but two good free throws by Brewster and a Kacie Williams shot in the paint kept the Lady Bears ahead by 10 at the half.
 
Quarter three was sparked by a Brewster layup and two good free throws, followed by a fastbreak by Smith to make the score 33-19. The Cavaliers were forced to work under pressure for the remainder of the third, while the final quarter saw Brewster hot in the box with a layup and good free throw. The Lady Bears maintained a steady lead with shots in the paint by Reed and a Williams three-pointer, while the game was ultimately put out of reach after two Dobbs shots in the paint and a sharp shot at the free throw line sealed the deal with a final score of 58-47.
 
LEADERS
Most notable, the Lady Bears were seen outshooting the Cavaliers at the free throw line going 15-17 (88.2%), compared to Montreat going 11-23 (47. 8%).
 
Dobbs led the way with 14 points and six rebounds on the day, followed by Brewster who recorded 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Reed tallied nine points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Williams had seven points and Queen had six points and three steals.
 
UP NEXT
TMU is back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m., where they will host AAC foe Brenau University, inside the Benjamin F. Brady Arena.