Game 8: #1 Chattanooga 60, #5 Georgia Southern 49
Box Score
Photo Slideshow
Postgame Quotes
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Shanara Hollinquest netted 17 points, and Jenaya Wade-Fray scored 10 of her 13 points in the last seven minutes of the game to lead Chattanooga to a 60-49 women's basketball victory over Georgia Southern in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena Sunday afternoon.
The top-seeded Lady Mocs advance to Monday's 5 p.m. championship game, where they will face the winner of the game between second-seeded Samford and third-seeded Appalachian State in Time Warner Cable Arena.
The game will be televised live on SportsSouth, and Chattanooga will be vying for its eighth SoCon Tourney title in the last 10 seasons.
Hollinquest was 7-for-11 from the field and pulled down 11 eight rebounds, including six offensive caroms, and Wade-Fray posted 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
Michelle Davis tallied 14 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Mocs (23-8), and Kayla Christopher recorded 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.
J'Lisia Ogburn led Georgia Southern (19-12) with 13 points, and Meredyth Frye collected 11 points and six rebounds. Carolyn Whitney scored nine.
Davis was 4-of-6 from 3-point range to lead Chattanooga, which hit 9-of-18 from long distance, compared to 3-of-14 for the Lady Eagles. The Lady Mocs held Georgia Southern to 35.3 percent shooting in the game, including 8-for-28 in the second half.
With Chattanooga leading 44-40 late in the contest, Tenisha Townsend ignited a decisive 16-4 run that gave the Lady Mocs a commanding lead. Wade-Fray scored 10 points during the run, and her triple made the score 60-44 with 1:24 to play, putting the game out of reach.
After the Lady Eagles opened the game with a 10-3 lead, Chattanooga used a 24-5 run to take a 27-15 cushion with 5:41 left in the first half. Davis started the run with a 3-pointer and scored five during the stretch, while Hollinquest scored six straight points, and Kylie Lambert capped it with a pair of free throws.
The margin stayed in double digits for the remainder of the half, and the Lady Mocs led 34-23 at halftime.
Trailing 39-25, Georgia Southern used a 15-5 run to trim the margin to 44-40 midway through the second half. Frye hit a pair of triples during the run, and Whitney scored four points.
Game Notes: The Lady Mocs advance to the SoCon Tourney final for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons... Chattanooga is now 13-7 in all-time SoCon Tourney semifinals and 8-2 under head coach Wes Moore... The Lady Mocs improved to 3-2 against Georgia Southern in the SoCon Tourney... The loss broke a six-game win streak for Georgia Southern.