Chattanooga 72, Alabama 58

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. --- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior Ashlen Dewart (Spartanburg, S.C.) scored a team-high 19 points to lead the Lady Mocs to a 72-58 win over Alabama at Foster Auditorium Saturday afternoon. Chattanooga improves to 7-1 on the year and has two wins over SEC opponents in the same season for the first time since defeating Florida (80-55) and Mississippi State (72-62) in the 1982-83 season. Alabama suffers just its second loss of the season falling to 5-2.

Dewart, one of five Chattanooga players in double figures, was 9-of-13 for the game and scored the first 11 points for the Lady Mocs to start the second half while adding in eight rebounds. Junior Taylor Hall (New Tazewell, Tenn.) was 6-of-11 with a 3-pointer for 14 points and seven boards. She was 1-of-1 from the free throw line and played limited minutes in the second half after getting into foul trouble.

Senior Kylie Lambert (Etowah, Tenn.) started the game with eight points and finished with 13 on the day and just missed a double-double with nine boards. Classmate Kayla Christopher (Oliver Springs, Tenn.), however, recorded her first double-double this season with 10 points and 10 rebounds and was 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. The seniors combined for seven of Chattanooga's 17 assists. Sophomore Ka'Vonne Towns (Fairburn, Ga.) was the fifth UTC player in double digits making 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and tied her season-high with 11 points and had four assists.

Alabama got the opening tip, but Lambert forced a turnover and went down the court for the first score of the game on a jumper to take a 2-0 lead and the Lady Mocs never trailed.

The Crimson Tide matched Chattanooga shot for shot over the first 3:13 of the game, but the Lady Mocs pulled away on a 16-1 run with scoring from five different players to take a 23-8 lead with 11:14 to play in the first half. Chattanooga led by as much as 16 points three different times in the first half and carried a 41-27 advantage into halftime.

The second half started with Dewart hitting a short jumper. She followed it making one of two free throws to give Chattanooga a 44-27 lead, its largest of the game, at the 18:47 mark of the latter stanza.

The Tide pushed back to start the second half and, despite the scoring from Dewart, outscored UTC 18-11 over the first half of the second period to get to within seven at 52-45 with 9:26 to play. Alicia Mitcham converted on back-to-back 3-point plays while Dalisha Simmons added in three of her game-high 20 points in the effort.

The Lady Mocs survived the scare, however, and the Tide would never get any closer. Chattanooga went on a 12-3 run over the next 3:27 to push the lead back out to 16 at 64-48 with 4:49 to play and would go on to grab a 72-58 victory.

The Lady Mocs out rebounded Alabama 57-40 for their highest rebounding effort of the season and dished out 17 assists to the Tide's nine. The Lady Mocs were forced into 22 turnovers resulting in 19 Alabama points while Chattanooga also scored 19 on 10 Crimson Tide miscues. Both teams recorded 16 offensive boards with Alabama holding a sligh13-12 edge in second chance points.

The Lady Mocs shot 48.5 percent (16-of-33) in the first half and ended the game making 28-of-65 (43.1%) from the field. Chattanooga was 10-of-25 from beyond the arc, marking the third time UTC has reached double figures at the 3-point line. The Lady Mocs were 6-of-10 from the free throw line.

The Tide made 22-of-76 (28.9%) from the field and made 5-of-22 3-pointers while converting on 9-of-14 free throws. Simmons was 8-of-19 from the field with two 3-pointers and was 2-of-4 from the free throw line and dished out a game-high six assists and five steals. Shafontaye Myers had 12 points while Mitcham had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Chattanooga will host Jacksonville State Wednesday, December 12 for its final home game of the 2012 calendar year. The game is set for a 7 p.m. start and will be carried live on ESPN 105.1 FM.

Tennessee Tech 61, Western Carolina 56

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women’s basketball’s (3-5) late game surge fell short, as the Catamounts lost to Tennessee Tech (5-4) 61-56 Saturday in the Ramsey Center.

Trailing by 10, 55-45, with 3:26 left in the game, Western Carolina battled back to trail by three, 59-56, with 25 seconds left. Freshman guard Lindsay Simpson spearheaded an 11-4 run by Western Carolina hitting three treys, scoring a career-best nine points – her final three-pointer sliced the Golden Eagles’ lead to three to keep the Catamounts in the game.

After Tennessee Tech’s Lashay Davis hit 1-of-2 free throws, with nine seconds remaining, Simpson had a nice look at a three-pointer but it fell short and the rebound went to the Golden Eagles. Tennessee Tech’s Kylie Cook hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, with one second left on the clock, to lock the game up.

Western Carolina led by two, 24-22, at the half and was led by sophomore guard Makensey Campbell who had 11 points at the break. She ended the game with a season-high 16 points, hitting three of her season-high four three-pointers in the first 20 minutes.

Tennessee Tech went from a 37.5 percent shooting percentage, in the first half, to a scorching 66.7 percent in the second, ending the contest shooting 51.1 percent. The Golden Eagles’ hot-hand in the second half was the key to the game. Tennessee Tech outscored Western Carolina 39-32 in the second half. Western Carolina shot 45 percent in the first half and dipped to 35.5 in the second to end the game at 39.2 percent.

Neither team got a lot of second-chance opportunities as Tennessee Tech had only four offensive rebounds and the Catamounts had nine. Both teams ripped down 22 defensive rebounds.

Western Carolina also connected on a season-high seven three-pointers. Campbell and Simpson equated for all the three-pointers by the Catamounts.

Hidden in the mix, of Simpson’s final minute heroics, and Campbell’s three-point shooting was redshirt senior Diamond Hunnicutt’s 13 points in the contest. It was the fourth time this season Hunnicutt has scored in double figures.

Western Carolina’s 56 points in the contest are the most points scored by Western Carolina since defeating North Carolina Central, on November 20, 67-56. It is also the first time Western Carolina has scored over 50 points and lost.

The Catamounts will take an 11 day break before heading back on the hardwood. Western Carolina returns to action on December 19 traveling to Charleston, S.C. to take on Charleston Southern at 2 p.m.

Richmond 104, UNCG 69

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG women’s basketball produced its highest point total of the season Saturday, but Richmond left Fleming Gymnasium with a 104-69 nonconference victory. The loss drops the Spartans to 1-6 overall while the Spiders improve to 7-4.

Junior Breonna Patterson (Greensboro, N.C./Dudley) tied her career high with 23 points and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Also joining Patterson in double figures offensively were freshmen Lucy Mason (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee Charter) and Sarafina Arthur-Williams (Germantown, Md./Winston Churchill) as they dropped in 13 and 11 respectively – a personal best total for Arthur-Williams. Patterson and Mason led the team on the glass, racking up seven rebounds each as Mason posted a career high.

The Spartans out-rebounded a team for the first time this season, pulling down 41 boards as compared to 39 for Richmond, while also posting a 20-9 advantage in offensive rebounds.

The Spiders could not seem to miss from the field, knocking down 42 of 72 shots for a 59-percent showing. UNCG checked in at 33 percent on a 23-for-69 performance. The Blue and Gold knocked down a season-best 17 of 23 from the free throw line (74 percent) while Richmond hit 12 of 16 charity tosses. The Spiders also tallied 32 assists on their 42 field goals.

Liz Brown put Richmond on top 3-0 when she converted a three-point play just 49 seconds into the game. Patterson would respond with a layup a few possessions later, but the Spiders raced out to a 10-2 lead with Keri Soppe drained a three-pointer at the 16:12 mark.

Richmond’s advantage grew all the way to 25-10 with just over 10 minutes left in the half, but UNCG scored five-straight points – including an old-fashioned three-point play by rookie Diamond Cooper (Orlando, Fla./West Orange) – to pull within 10 with 9:47 left on the clock.

The Spiders turned on their transition game for much of the remaining time in the period, moving in front by 23 when Rachel Bilney put in a fastbreak layup at the 1:22 mark. However, the Spartans answered back, scoring the last 10 points of the half to slice the deficit to 13 (50-37) at the break. Mason nailed a pair of three-pointers during that time to spark the run.

Patterson scored 13 of her points in the first 20 minutes while freshman Ciara Morris (Hope Mills, N.C./South View) racked up three rebounds to lead UNCG. The Blue and Gold also hit four of a season-best six three-pointers.

Arthur-Williams hit the first shot of the second half for either team, making the score 50-39, but by the time Patterson scored UNCG’s next points, Richmond had extended the lead to 20 at 61-41. Freshman Jazmine Missouri (Kensington, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross) was able to drop in a free throw to complete an old-fashioned three-point play at the 14:27 mark, but the Spiders would still lead 65-44 and were not threatened again.

The Spartans continue their current five-game homestand in one week, hosting Norfolk State Saturday, Dec. 15. Tipoff at Fleming Gymnasium is set for 2 p.m.

No. 23 Miami 67, Davidson 35

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Nine players scored for No. 23 Miami, including three who reached double figures, and Davidson was overwhelmed by the Hurricanes’ aggressiveness in falling 67-35 on the road Saturday afternoon at the BankUnited Center in women’s basketball.

Morgan Stroman paced the Hurricanes (7-1), who won their fifth straight, with a double-double behind 17 points and 13 rebounds. She had 11 of those points, including six in a row to open the new half, in the second period when Miami pulled away.

Krystal Saunders scored 13 points, nine of them on three-pointers during a decisive 14-4 run in the second half that turned a 41-26 lead into 55-30 with 6:12 left.

Sarah Davis had a solid game, scoring a season-best 11 points to pace the Wildcat (3-5) attack. She scored the first eight points for Davidson to open the second half.

Laura Murray filled the box sheet with five points, six rebounds and a career-high tying seven assists. In her return trip home, senior Jasmine Calin pulled in a season-high five boards and matched her personal-best with three steals.

Davidson’s leading scorer, Sophia Aleksandravicius, was held to just four points and two rebounds. She came in averaging a double-double and was coming off a monster game Wednesday in win vs. High Point with 30 points and 15 rebounds.

Miami used a balanced scoring attack and a full-court press to grab an early 10-0 lead to start the game. The ‘Canes had seven different players score in the first 10 minutes and pushed their advantage out to 17-4.

They had 12 of their 17 points inside and finished the half scoring 20 in the paint. For the game, Miami had 42 total points down on the blocks.

Davidson stayed strong against the No. 23 team in the country and started to chip away. Hannah Early and Murray got the Wildcats’ offense going with shots from downtown in the later stages of the half, and the ‘Cats were within nine at the break, 27-18. The duo scored five points each in the half, and Early finished with seven for the game.

The Hurricanes, who shot 46.8 percent, had 10 blocks and 13 steals, while forcing 18 turnovers and turning them into 20 points.

Davidson continues its four-game road trip to Gardner-Webb Thursday, Dec. 13, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. The Wildcats scored a 67-46 win at home vs. the Runnin Bulldogs a year ago.