Examining a box score can be a misleading way to interpret the outcome of a basketball game.  An example of that fact can be found by perusing the statistics from Montreat's women's basketball loss, 77-63, on Saturday, January 23 to Appalachian Athletic Conference rival Milligan College.The statistics seem to tell a story of a very close game, a game that the home team may well have won.  Head Coach Craig Jackson's Cavaliers and the Milligan Buffaloes each chased down 38 rebounds.  The Cavaliers had two more steals, but the Buffaloes managed two more blocks.  So far, pretty even.  

And Montreat even won several significant statistical battles: they converted six more field goals, dished out 15 more assists (winning that category 23-8) and forced 29 Milligan turnovers while losing only 18.  

In only one column of that box score, in fact, did Milligan dominate.  Yet, the Cavaliers lost by 14 because Montreat was whistled for 28 fouls leading to Milligan's 35 free throw attempts while the Buffaloes were flagged for only 12 fouls as the Cavaliers went to the charity stripe only 9 times.

Milligan's edge in free throw conversions - 31 to 6 - accounted for a 25-point gap that the home team could not bridge.

With the loss, Montreat's record falls to 4-5 in the AAC and 14-6 overall as they dropped to three games behind the league-leading Buffaloes, who sit at 7-2 in the conference.  

Sophomore center Alicia Wallace scored 15 points and had a team-leading 7 rebounds, while Chaecie Bullock tallied 18 points with a sparkling shooting display that saw her hit all four of her three-point shots.

Milligan was led by Heather Mandela, who finished as the game's leading scorer with 19.

The Cavaliers next take the court on Wednesday, January 27 at 5:30 as they face another AAC foe when Bluefield College welcomes Montreat to their Virginia campus.  The Rams are themselves enjoying a strong season and carry a 6-3 conference record and a 14-5 mark overall.