Skyhawks taken down by Montreat in a road AAC matchup
MONTREAT, N.C. (Jan. 14, 2023) - The Point University women's basketball team returned to the court Saturday evening for a road Appalachian Athletic Conference matchup against Montreat College and fell to the Cavaliers with a final score of 72-56.
Marta Gimenez and Ky'Leo Worriels put the Skyhawks on the scoreboard first with the first two baskets for Point. The Cavaliers retaliated to the Skyhawks' quick start with a three-pointer, but Mataea Boyd added a layup to bring Point's lead to three in the early going. Montreat scored their following four points through opportunities from the charity stripe and followed up with another triple on the next offensive possession to put the Cavaliers ahead 10-6. Point's next offensive possession saw Sheyvonne Owens crash the boards for an offensive rebound and make the follow-up layup to bring their deficit within two. Montreat converted on another offensive trip as their possession ended with an and-one and made a free throw. Kyra Hart connected with Mataea Boyd to knock down the three-pointer, but the Cavaliers kept their within five as Montreat scored another mid-range jumper. With under three minutes left, Chinedu Nnadi put the Skyhawks back in the lead with a strong take in the lane. Sheyvonne Owens followed up on the next trip on offense with a layup to bring their lead to 18-15. That lead did not last long as Montreat knocked down their third three-pointer to tie the game, followed by two free throws to end the quarter with a two-point lead.
Ky'Leo Worriels gave the Skyhawks their first basket of the second quarter. Montreat continued their success on offense as the Cavaliers converted their first two jumpers, one being a three-pointer. Midway through the quarter, Mataea Boyd breezed past the defense for a layup to bring their deficit to five. Montreat responded by taking their most significant lead of the game so far with two three-pointers in a row to now lead 33-22. Ananda Hughley ended the 8-0 run from the Cavaliers with a triple of her own, and Mataea Boyd followed with a layup to bring Montreat's lead back to single digits. With under two minutes left, a layup by the Cavaliers brought their lead back to 11, which faded quickly as Ananda Hughley responded with her second three-pointer of the half. The barrage of three-pointers from each team continued to be in play as the Cavaliers knocked down their second consecutive three. Two made free throws sent the Skyhawks to halftime trailing by 10 points.
The first basket of the third quarter was not scored until the 7:52 mark, which went on the side of Montreat. Ananda Hughley continued to score layer of the court as she converted on the layup. Montreat and Point traded layups and three-pointers on the following four possessions, bringing the score to 49-39 with the Cavaliers ahead. The Skyhawks continued to move the ball on offense to find successful answers as Ananda Hughley knocked down another three-pointer to bring Point's deficit back within 10. The Cavaliers finished the quarter, scoring five points from a layup and three-pointer to lead 60-46.
Montreat's defense made it tough for the Skyhawks' offense to put together solid offensive possessions, as Point did not score their first basket until the 7:25 mark in the fourth quarter. Following the next possessions for Montreat, the Cavaliers took their most significant lead with 21, which resulted from free throws. Ananda Hughley scored her following two buckets from behind the arc, and Ky'Leo Worriels made her free throw to score the final basket for Point, with the final score being 72-56.
In the box
Ananda Hughley led the Skyhawks with 17 Points, two rebounds and one steal. Mataea Boyd followed with 16 Points, four rebounds and five steals. Sheyvonne Owens added nine points and six rebounds off the bench.
Up next
Point will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 17, for a home AAC matchup against Truett McConnell University starting at 5:30 P.M.