The 2009-2010 Montreat College women's basketball team has produced a season that seems a mirror image of last year.  On Wednesday, January 20, the Cavaliers traveled to Bristol, Virginia and defeated Virginia Intermont College 64-49 to raise its record to 4-4 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference and 14-5 overall.One year ago, during the 2008-2009 season, Montreat had hosted that same Virginia Intermont team and lost by 16 to see its record fall to 5-14 after nineteen games.  One year later, the Cavaliers' 19th game resulted in its 14th win.  

Asked to explain the turnaround, achieved with largely the same group of players that struggled last season, Montreat Head Coach Craig Jackson said, "We are more experienced and more committed to what we are trying to do as a team than we have been in the past.  We earned some wins early in the season and the team has been able to carry over the confidence we have gained into our more difficult contests."

Defeating a poor Cobras team, which fell to 0-8 in league play and 2-18 overall, may not qualify as the Cavaliers' biggest win, but Jackson was pleased to claim an AAC road win and level Montreat's conference record at 4-4.  Senior Forward Anjelica Jackson worked for 13 points and sophomore Center Alicia Wallace contributed 11 points and 3 blocks, and the Cavaliers raced to a 15-point lead at halftime.  

Jackson added that, "For the first time since I have been here, our players believe that we can compete every night."  He will certainly hope that belief holds strong when Montreat plays its 20th game of the season when they host Milligan College, the current AAC leaders.  

Last season's 20th contest was a 17-point loss against those Milligan Buffaloes.  Jackson and his team will look to continue their turnaround season with another opposite result.