It's better to be 8-2 than 2-8.  

Last year, Montreat College's loss to Mars Hill College on December 13, 2008 dropped the Cavaliers' record to 2-8, with an equally discouraging 0-4 record in the Appalachian Athletic Conference.  

What a difference a year can make.  On Wednesday, December 2, 2009, Montreat hosted AAC rival Tennessee Wesleyan and improved to 8-2, 2-1 with a 72-60 victory over the Lady Bulldogs that was spurred by a remarkable display of shooting by Tahjma Gabriel.

Head Coach Craig Jackson pointed to a number of factors that helped secure the win and which indicate a team that's improving as the season progresses.  "First, that's our first win over Tennessee Wesleyan during my tenure here; they're a tough team, and that was a great win for our program."  

Jackson also pointed out some of the nuts and bolts that helped the Cavaliers get that victory:  "We had a season low 10 turnovers to go with 18 assists, and as a team, we hit 11 three-pointers."  

Gabriel, a junior guard from Charlotte, led the team in sharpshooting and scoring as she connected on all 6 of her three-pointers for a team-leading 18 points.  Chaecie Bullock added 15 points and 4 steals, while post players Angelica Jackson, Titi Takai, Stephanie Morrison, and Alicia Wallace combined for 24 points and 19 rebounds.

Montreat has three road games before an extended Christmas break and can hope to equal or surpass its win total for all of last season, when they finished 9-22.  The most important of those games - because it's an AAC match-up - comes first when the Cavaliers travel to play UVa-Wise on Saturday, December 5.