BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. — The Milligan University women's basketball team concluded their final Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) contest of the 2025 portion of their schedule on Saturday afternoon in Black Mountain, N.C. at the Montreat College Cavaliers with a chance to stay undefeated in conference contests. After a tightly played first three quarters, the Buffaloes surged ahead to take the result by a final of 84-73.

Both sides shot the ball with relative ease in the opening frame, and neither side could create any separation from the other. The largest lead of the period was 22-18 for the Cavs, before the Buffs scored the final basket of the period to get back to within two at quarter's end. An 8-of-16 first-period clip from the field equaled those 20 points for Milligan, while Montreat knocked home 9-of-15 to hold the edge.

In the second quarter, the Lady Buffs and the Cavaliers both slowed down a bit on offense, with both squads finishing at less than 42% in the frame. Once again, the two sides traded baskets for much of the period, as the largest lead was five points for the Cavs at 35-30. Milligan notched the last seven points of the period to take a slim lead into the break, 37-35.

Throughout the third frame, the theme continued, as neither side could find any escape route from the opposition. Still, the largest lead accrued by either team was just four points. The number of shots was low for both sides due to fairly large turnover numbers, with nine combined by the two squads. The Cavs ultimately led over the course of the 10 minutes, taking a 16-14 edge to tie the score at 53-53 entering the final frame.

Finally, the Buffaloes made their move in the fourth, going on a 13-2 run between the 8:57 and 4:57 marks in the frame. Milligan's total output of 31 points was aided heavily by free throw shooting, as the team hit 12-of-14 at the stripe. Overall, the Buffs outpaced the Cavs by 11 points in the period to take home an 84-73 win in their final AAC tilt of 2025.

Semaj Clark was cooking on Saturday, drilling 12-of-18 from the floor, as well as converting 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. She scored 31 points to lead the team and become the first Milligan player to score 30 or more points in a game this season. Three additional Buffaloes were in double figures, as Kenzie Campbell totaled 12, Lina Lyon scored 11 and Caroline Krueger poured in 10.

Milligan recorded 13 assists as a team in the victory, including a team-best four from Lyon running the point. Krueger tallied three of them, and Campbell dished out two. McKenna Myers, Clark, Nina Lovelace and Naomi Atchley had the other four.

Clark was just one rebound away from a double-double, leading the team by far with eight defensive rebounds. Myers had five boards, with three of those coming on offense. Atchley totaled three backboards, all offensive. Campbell and Krueger grabbed a pair of boards each, and every remaining player who stepped on the court had one (Lyon, Lovelace, Romy Bos, Lexi Ervin).

Clark was a menace on defense, again, notching a pair of steals and a block in the battle. Campbell and Atchley both registered two steals, and Lyon and Myers had one apiece. Krueger and Bos also tallied blocks in the game.

With the triumph, the Buffaloes (8-4, 7-0 AAC) have swept the 2025 portion of their AAC slate. The contingent now has a couple of weeks off from game play, as they next see the hardwood on Monday, Dec. 29 in Babson Park, Fla. on the campus of Webber International University at 2 p.m.