CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Four players scored in double figures as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team claimed its third Southern Conference win, defeating Western Carolina 77-59 at the McKenzie Arena.
Chattanooga improved to 12-5 overall and 3-0 in league play while the Catamounts fall to 4-13 on the year and 0-3 against the conference.
Junior Queen Alford led all scorers, matching her career-high with 20 points and added five rebounds. She was 7-of-11 from the field with a 3-pointer and was 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Jasmine Joyner just missed out on a triple double with 13 points, nine rebounds and a record eight blocked shots. She was 5-of-9 and added four assists in her 27 minutes on the floor.
Senior Alicia Payne scored a career-high 16 points, including a buzzer beater from just inside the line as the shot clock expired in the third quarter. She was 5-of-7 from the field with a 3-pointer and perfect from the free throw line, making all five attempts.
Sophomore Keiana Gilbert was the fourth Chattanooga player in double figures, making 8-of-12 for 17 points with four rebounds.
The Mocs got off to a quick start, outscoring the Catamounts 7-3 over the first 3:57 of the game. Western Carolina cut the lead to two points on a layup from Sherae Bonner less than a minute later, but that’s the closest it would be the rest of the way.
Sophomore Aryanna Gilbert hit a layup to spark a 16-5 run that was capped off by a pair of free throws from Alford to make it 37-23 with 2:19 to play in the second quarter. Chattanooga used a 15-4 run bookended by shots from Keiana Gilbert in the third quarter to get out front 60-37 with 50 seconds to play in the frame.
The Mocs never let up, pushing its lead to as much as 27 points, 71-44, at the 4:45 mark in the fourth quarter. Chattanooga shot a season-high 52.6 percent from the field making 30-of-57 and were 15-of-19 from the free throw line, matching the most UTC has made this season.
Chattanooga dished out a season-high 19 assists with a school-record 12 blocked shots. Joyner’s eight rejections ties the school record she set last year at Notre Dame and is the most by a UTC player at the Roundhouse.
The win was the Mocs’ 51st consecutive Southern Conference victory and 11th straight against Western Carolina. UTC now leads the series 68-11 dating back to 1979.
The Catamounts were led in scoring by Ace Easter who had 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. She was 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, playing 34 minutes. Lindsay Simpson, also in double figures, was 2-of-5 from long range with 10 points. Erika Joseph and Angel Allen each pulled in a team-high seven boards. Western Carolina was 23-of-65 (35.4%) from the field with six 3-pointers and was 7-of-10 from the free throw line.
The Mocs outscored WCU 50-32 in the paint and scored 15 second chance points off 14 offensive rebounds. Western Carolina got 20 bench points compared to the Mocs three and edged UTC 17-15 on points off turnovers.
Chattanooga will return to action Saturday with a 2 p.m. matchup against UNCG at the McKenzie Arena in the first game of a doubleheader with the men who will host rival ETSU.