Chattanooga 68, Western Carolina 66
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Chattanooga senior Shanara Hollinquest (Sylacauga, Ala.) made her first free throw attempt of the game to become the Lady Mocs' all-time leader in that category. However, it would be the last two that would lift Chattanooga past Western Carolina, 68-66, with 0.9 seconds on the clock.
The win was the eighth straight for the Lady Mocs who remain atop the Southern Conference standings at 8-2 and are 13-6 overall.
With the game knotted up 66-66 and 23.3 seconds remaining, the Lady Mocs called for a time out to set up the final play. Freshman Kylie Lambert (Etowah, Tenn.) took the inbounds pass and delivered the ball to classmate Kayla Christopher (Oliver Springs, Tenn.). Senior Jenaya Wade-Fray (Madison, Ala.) grabbed the hand off and, using the pick, drove inside.
The Catamounts moved in for the stop and Wade-Fray fumbled the ball briefly. After gathering up the loose ball, she took a shot that hit off the front of the rim and Hollinquest gathered it in, going back up for the shot. A hard foul sent her to the line with less than one second on the clock.
Appearing calm on the outside, but by her own admission a "bundle of nerves" on the inside, she stepped up to the line. She put the first through the net and hit her first to put the Lady Mocs on top by one. She hit her second and the Catamounts immediately called time out to set up the final play.
Caitlin Hollifield, a transfer from Alabama, threw a baseball toss the length of the court and UTC senior Megan Rollins (Monteagle, Tenn.) intercepted the pass for the win.
The Catamounts, looking to end a three-game losing skid, got the scoring started with a 5-0 lead before the Lady Mocs sophomore point guard Tenisha Townsend (Antioch, Tenn.) hit a three to cut the lead to two. It would be the largest lead of the game for Western Carolina who falls to 3-14 on the year and 2-6 in SoCon play.
Chattanooga grabbed the lead just moments later on Hollinquest's career free throw No. 419 to go up 10-9. The score would remain close throughout the period with both teams grabbing leads. The Lady Catamounts had a five-point lead with 2:17 remaining at 36-31, but Chattanooga would close out the period and get to within a point at the break trailing 36-35.
In the second half, the score seesawed back and forth until the Lady Mocs put together an 11-3 run fueled by a seven-point scoring performance by redshirt freshman Michelle Davis (Cleveland, Tenn.) gave Chattanooga its largest lead of the game at 60-53 with 7:08 to play.
The Lady Cats, however, would claw their way back into the game with a 13-2 run to go up 66-62 with 2:39 remaining in the game. The Lady Mocs would hold them off and out score WCU 6-0 over the final minutes of the game to grab the win.
Hollinquest led the Lady Mocs with her 10th double-double of the year on 19 points and 10 rebounds. She moved past Katasha Brown (2002-06) to sixth place on the all-time scoring charts with 1,488 career points. She also moved past Kim Brown (1988-93) to seventh place on the career rebounding charts with 769. She is the all-time leader at UTC for made free throws with 425, passing Regina Kirk's 22-year-old school record 418 with her first made basket from the charity stripe.
Wade-Fray had 13 points for the Lady Mocs and four assists while Davis put in 11 points and eight rebounds. Lambert and Christopher combined for seven assists.
Western Carolina was led in scoring by Emily Clarke's game-high 22 points. She also had a team-high seven rebounds. Kaila-Shea Menendez had 13 points, going 6-for-6 from the free throw line while Kendra Carroll contributed 10 points with two steals for the Lady Cats.
Chattanooga will return to action on the road next Saturday at Furman. Follow the action on 105.1 FM, the flagship station of Chattanooga athletics. Live stats, video and audio streaming will be available at the official UTC athletics web page, GoMocs.com.
Western Carolina will continue its road trip with a Monday night matchup against Samford in Birmingham, Ala. The game is set to tip at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
College of Charleston 84, Davidson 78
CHARLESTON, S.C. - College of Charleston's women's basketball team claimed sole possession of second place in the Southern Conference as the Cougars defeated Davidson, 84-78, at the Carolina First Arena on Saturday afternoon.
"This was a very big game for us because we were tied with Davidson for second place," head coach Nancy Wilson said. "If you're going to be competitive and strive to be the best in the conference, you've got to win these games on your home court and then have a fighting chance in away games."
Seniors Brooke Kotcella (Anderson, S.C./Wren) and Ericka Williams (Blackville, S.C./Blackville-Hilda) each had career highs in points against the Wildcats. Kotcella scored a game-high 27 points while Williams broke her previous career high of 17 points by halftime. The guard finished with 25 points on the afternoon.
The Cougars (12-5, 7-2 SoCon) established a 5-0 lead in the first minute of the game as Williams hit a shot from beyond the arc and followed it up with a jumper off a pass by junior Tonia Gerty (Port Orange, Fla./Spruce Creek). The team stretched its lead to double-digits at the 11:14 mark of the first half after Kotcella and drilled one from three-point land, forcing the Wildcats to call a timeout and regroup.
Although Davidson (8-9, 7-3 SoCon) was able to reduce its lead to eight points with 5:43 remaining on the clock, they couldn't hold Williams who went on an 8-0 run, punctuating it with a jumper off a pass by senior Indya Mudd (New Orleans, La./Bevill State CC) with just under three minutes to play. The Cougars scored 11 points off turnovers and finished the half with a 48-29 lead.
Davidson kicked off the second half with a 5-0 run before Kotcella halted it with her fifth three-pointer of the game. Following it up with a layup just 24 seconds later, the Cougars took their largest lead, 53-32, with 16:30 to play.
The Wildcats continued to build momentum in the second half, outscoring CofC 21-11 over the next eight minutes. A three-pointer by Ashley Lax at 6:42 brought Davidson within nine points, the closest the team had been since the 5:43 mark in the first half. The two teams continued to battle before Davidson began to foul in the final two minutes of the game.
Senior Jade Hughes (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) went 4-for-6 from the stripe while Gerty made 4-of-7 free throws in the waning minutes before Kotcella's layup gave the Cougars a nine-point lead with 1.3 seconds on the clock. Davidson's Monica Laune ended the game with a three-point shot at the buzzer but Charleston had already sealed the victory.
Kotcella led the Cougars with six rebounds while Gerty finished the day with 16 points, eight assists and career-high five steals.
Laune had a team-high 19 points for the Wildcats while Sophia Aleksandravicius had the games only double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
College of Charleston hosts Appalachian State on Monday at 7 p.m. in a conference matchup.
Notes: Senior Jade Hughes was honored prior to tipoff as the 23rd player in school history to score more than 1,000 career points.
Elon 63, Furman 61
ELON, N.C. - Ali Ford netted a game-high 23 points as she led the Elon women's basketball team to a 63-61 win over Southern Conference foe Furman on Saturday afternoon. Ford, who has scored at least 20 points in six games this season, dished seven assists and tallied five steals. With the win, Elon improved to 7-10 on the season and 3-6 in SoCon play. Furman dropped to 3-6 in the league and 5-13 overall.
"I was very impressed with our defensive effort today," Elon head women's basketball coach Karen Barefoot said. "We really focused and took care of the ball in the final 12 minutes of the game, which was key to our success. Our bench provided us with energy on the floor and our fans gave us a lot of enthusiasm that helped us down the stretch."
Courtney Medley totaled nine points, connecting on 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Tiffany Davis grabbed four steals and was 4-of-8 from the field for nine points. Urysla Cotton led the team on the glass, pulling down seven rebounds, followed by Kelsey Evans with five boards, including three on the offensive glass.
Furman's Lee Stephens finished with a team-high 21 points, while Kendra Berry earned a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
After trailing by as many as 14 in the first half, Elon battled back to take its first lead of the game at 38-36 with 17:56 remaining in the game. Furman would answer with a 12-3 run of its own to go back on top, 48-41, at the 13:47 mark. The Paladins could not stop Elon's offensive attack over the next five minutes as the Phoenix outscored the visitors 14-3 to take a 55-53 lead. Davis was instrumental in the run, putting back an offensive rebound and then forcing a turnover that led to an Elon bucket.
Furman managed to tie the game at 55 on a layup by Lakyn Ledford, but back-to-back buckets by Ford, including a long triple, gave Elon a 60-55 edge with 4:28 to play. The Paladins didn't go quietly, hitting a three-pointer with 1:28 on the clock to make it a two-point game, 60-58. The Phoenix staved off the attack as Cotton found Julie Taylor on the wing where she knocked down an Elon three ball as the shot clock wound down, pushing the advantage back to five, 63-58. A late Paladin three-pointer was not enough as Elon hung on for the win.
As a team, Elon shot 39.7 percent from the field, including 40.9 percent from downtown. The Phoenix outrebounded Furman 39-31 and won the turnover battle 19-21. Furman connected on 53.8 percent of its shots from behind the three-point line.
Stephens hit her first five field goals in the opening six minutes of play, scoring 14 of the Paladins' first 16 points that put Furman up 16-4 with 13:27 on the clock. Furman opened up a 14-point lead, 20-6, before Medley hit a pair of three-pointers during an 8-1 Elon run that cut the Paladin lead to seven with nine minutes left to play in the half. Elon scored 11 points in the final 3:49 of the first half, including three baskets from downtown. A trey by Ford with 44 seconds on the clock sent the Phoenix into the half trailing by only four, 36-32.
Elon returns to the floor on Monday evening at 7 p.m., when it welcomes Wofford to Alumni Gym.
Appalachian State 72, UNC Greensboro 57
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Appalachian State University women's basketball earned its first win in UNCG's Fleming Gym since 2000, as the Mountaineers held off a strong UNCG squad and captured a 72-57 win. With the victory, Appalachian snaps a three-game losing streak and improves to 8-9 on the season and an even 4-4 in the SoCon, while the Spartans fall to 7-10 overall and 4-5 in league action.
The Black and Gold took a 40-31 advantage headed into the break, but it was UNCG that had the early momentum coming out of the half, as Lakiah Hyson and Monique Floyd both scored two buckets to make it a five point game. Although tested, Appalachian would not back down, as Sam Ramirez continued with her hot shooting hand draining a trey to push ASU's lead back to eight points.
Ashlen Dewart and Ramirez continued to pace the productive Mountaineer offense, as Ramirez drilled another three-pointer and Dewart continued to come up big at charity stripe.
Both finished the contest with 22 points, while Dewart hauled in eight rebounds and Ramirez dished out six assists.
Appalachian's comfy lead at 12 points began to diminish as Sarah Folwell hit a trey and Amanda Leigh scored a jumper to cut ASU's lead to just eight points. However, Dewart was unstoppable yet again, scoring six of the App's last eight points, leading to the ensuing 15 point Appalachian victory.
After going up 10-8 in the opening minutes of action, with Dewart pouring in ASU's first eight points, Appalachian was unable to stave off a strong UNCG surge, as Monique Floyd got into the scoring column hitting four early buckets.
Floyd ended the contest with a game-high 21 points, and hauled in six boards while grabbing five steals.
Momentum shifted in ASU's favor though, as the Mountaineers closed out the first half on a 12-5 streak, with Chakeitha Weldon, Anna Freeman, Canesha Edwards and Ramirez all chipping in on the offensive front.
Continuing with their strong play, Appalachian was able to outscore the Spartans by six in the second-half and notch their fourth conference victory of the season.
ASU's roadswing carries on, as the Apps travel to the Holy City, to take on the College of Charleston. The contest is set for Monday January 18, in the Cougar's Carolina First Arena, with the tip slated for 7 p.m.
Georgia Southern 58, Wofford 56
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern used a 12-0 run early in the second half to build a double-digit lead, but Wofford battled its way back drawing the score to 58-56. The Terriers took a timeout with 1:19 to play and held possession with under a minute, but could not convert a bucket as the Lady Eagles held on for a 58-56 win Saturday afternoon (January 16) in Spartanburg. The win improved Georgia Southern to 9-8 overall and 4-4 in Southern Conference play, while Wofford fell to 2-13, 1-7 dropping its first game at home this year.
Leading at the break, Carolyn Whitney (Duluth, Ga.) finished as the high scorer draining 15 points, 13 in the opening frame. The senior added five rebounds, three assists and four steals to her box score. Pacing the Wofford offense were Natalie Gramblin with 13 points and Kelly Dwyer with 12.
A balanced defense led to Georgia Southern winning the edge on glass, 37-36. Jessica Geiger (Stone Mountain, Ga.) pulled down six rebounds to lead the Lady Eagles with J'Lisia Ogburn (Dublin, Ga.) right behind with five. Mahagony Williams led Wofford with six rebounds. Williams, the leading scorer for the Terriers this season, was kept to a mere six points in the game.
Wofford utilized its 25 trips to the charity stripe, converting 19 for 76 percent efficiency, whereas Georgia Southern struggled at the free throw line shooting 52 percent, 12-23. For the game, Georgia Southern shot 35 percent from the floor to Wofford's 36 percent. GS added 22 points off the bench to Wofford's 20.
"I thought our bench did a great job tonight, they came in and gave us great minutes," said Lady Eagle head coach Rusty Cram. "We had a great start to the second half, but then we started playing not to lose rather than playing to win and we let them back in the ballgame. But I'm proud of the team for pulling out the win on the road, which is always difficult."
Wofford built a 9-4 lead over GS by the first media timeout, using a 7-0 run following the tip. Ogburn gave Georgia Southern its first field goal at the 16:42 marker. The Terriers held the early lead until Georgia Southern tied the score for the first time at 12-12 off a bucket from Janay Wilson (Warner Robins, Ga.). GS took its first lead of the half as Briana Scott (Dumfries, Va.) connected on both of a one-and-one to put the Lady Eagles in front, 15-14. Wofford rebuilt a five-point lead, 22-17, but Georgia Southern kept close, tying the score four times before taking the halftime lead, 37-35, on a Wilson lay-up.
Georgia Southern broke into a double-digit lead early in the second half, sparked by Ogburn's six points in the paint and capped by a three-pointer from Jamie Navarro (Naples, Fla.) for a 49-39 advantage.
Ivy closed out the 12-0 run before Natalie Gramblin hit one from the charity stripe. The Terriers, scoreless from the floor for eight minutes, hit a trey at 9:32 by Maddie Helms setting the score, 56-43.
Logan Youngblood (Sylvester, Ga.) hit what would be the last Georgia Southern bucket at 7:06, 58-45, before Wofford proceeded to put together an 11-0 run, including 8-of-8 from the charity stripe, to close out the game.
Georgia Southern returns to the court Monday, January 18 to face third-ranked Davidson in Statesboro. Tip in Hanner Fieldhouse is slated for 7:00 p.m.