CHARLESTON, S.C. – Alyssa Frye scored a career-high 12 points, including 10 in the first half, while Janae Smith posted a team-leading 16 points, including 10 in the second half, as the College of Charleston women’s basketball team defeated the Chattanooga Mocs, 56-50, in front of 308 fans at the Carolina First Arena.  Charleston has now won three of the last four meetings between the two schools.

The Cougars (4-5, 1-1) led most of the first half with only six lead changes and three ties recorded in the first 20 minutes.  Charleston led by as much as six, 9-3 with 15:06 to go in the half, before back-to-back three-pointers by Chattanooga (3-6, 1-1) knotted the game at 9-9 at the 13:20 mark.  Tonia Gerty responded for the Cougars with five straight to take the five-point lead, 14-9, with 11:47 remaining before intermission.

Chattanooga took its first lead since the early stages of the game with 2:46 on the clock as Whitney Hood capped off a 10-6 run to give the Mocs a one-point, 25-24, lead.  The Mocs held the lead until the final minute when the Cougars connected on the last four points, including three from Ariel Hatcher, to go into the locker room with the 30-28 edge.

The Mocs tied the game, 34-34, at 14:17 in the second half before the Cougars responded with a 19-6 run over the next eight minutes to build their largest lead of the game, 53-40, with 6:19 remaining.  Leading the Cougars during the stretch was Smith, who had six points, a defensive rebound and block during the stretch.  Chattanooga scored the game’s final 10 of 13 points but could get no further as stingy Cougar defense kept the Mocs at bay and the Cougars escaped with the 56-50 win.

Charleston shot 39.7 percent from the field, compared to 33.3 percent for the Mocs.  Both teams connected on six free throws with the Cougars going six-for-12 and Chattanooga six for eight.  UTC edged CofC in rebounds, 39-38, and had six more turnovers with 16.  Charleston’s 10 turnovers was a season-low.

The College of Charleston dominated in the paint, 24-10 and points off turnovers, 18-5.

Following Smith and Frye in scoring for the Cougars was Gerty with 10.  Smith and Gerty both pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds.  Gerty was just two short of her career-high with a game-high eight assists.  Hood led Chattanooga with 17 points and 10 rebounds.  Alex Black followed with 11 points on the night.

The Cougars are next in action Dec. 18 when they host Southern Conference foe Samford in a 6 p.m. game.