COLUMBIA, S.C. — CIU women's basketball secured its first Appalachian Athletic Conference win of the season on Wednesday night, defeating Montreat 89–77 inside the Moore Fitness Center. The Rams improve to 2–5 overall and 1–1 in AAC play, while the Cavaliers drop to 3–4 overall and 1–1 in the league.

After trailing 20–14 at the end of the first quarter, CIU responded with a 23–13 second-period surge to take a 37–33 lead into halftime. The Rams continued to control momentum after the break, outscoring Montreat 28–22 in the third quarter and shooting 43 percent from the field for the game.

Katie Johnson led CIU with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Katlynn Chinn added 10 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting performance. Jerchel Geathers-Washington finished with nine points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Lily Dunn contributed 13 points with two made three-pointers, and Sadie Burnette added nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

Defensively, CIU forced 16 turnovers and converted them into scoring opportunities, helping extend the lead throughout the second half.

CIU returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 22, hosting Brenau (Ga.) at 2:00 p.m. ET at home..