JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team went 10-for-12 from the free throw line in the final three minutes to hold off a surging East Tennessee State for an 88-80 win over the Lady Bucs at the MSHA Athletic Center Thursday night.
Chattanooga improves to 8-3 overall (3-0 SoCon) and East Tennessee State falls to 1-11 overall.
Sophomore Meghan Downes (Fairburn, Ga.) had a career-high 19 points to lead five Chattanooga players in double figures. She drained a career-best four 3-pointers on six attempts. Senior Whitney Hood (Meridian, Miss.) put up 17 points making 9-of-9 from the free throw line. Juniors Kayla Christopher (Oliver Springs, Tenn.) and Kylie Lambert (Etowah, Tenn.) each had 13 points in the contest. Christopher was 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, sinking four in the final 52 seconds. Sophomore Alex Black (Memphis, Tenn.) was the fifth UTC player in double figures with 10 points and five rebounds. Sophomore Taylor Hall went 4-for-6 from the free throw line in the final three minutes for eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
After leading by as much as eight in the first half, the Lady Mocs carried a 33-31 advantage into the locker room at the intermission. In the second half, Chattanooga stretched that lead out to as much as 14 points midway through the latter stanza. UTC never trailed in the second half, but ETSU did knot the game up 72-72 with 2:57 to play.
With 4:48 to play in the game, the Lady Mocs led 71-63 with a pair of free throws from Hood. ETSU would answer on an 8-1 run to tie it up on a layup from Gwen Washington who had a team-leading 18 points. Hood put in a layup to put UTC back on top and the Lady Mocs would not trail again.
Christopher followed it with a 3-pointer and then the two teams traded baskets. Christopher hit another pair of free throws with 52 seconds to play and led 81-74. Twice the Lady Bucs would get to within five, but that would be all they could manage as Chattanooga held on for the eight point victory.
Destiny Mitchell had 14 points and eight rebounds for East Tennessee State while Maria Bond had 12 points and two blocked shots. East Tennessee State edged the Lady Mocs on the boards 40-39.
In the second half, the Lady Mocs were 17-of-26 (65.4%) from the floor and was 5-for-9 (55.6%) from beyond the arc while hitting 16-of-19 from the free throw line. Chattanooga was 25-of-33 from the free throw line for the game and hit seven 3-pointers.
Chattanooga will take time off for the holiday break and return to action Tuesday, Jan. 3 2012 as they travel to Knoxville to take on the Lady Vols at Thompson-Boling Arena.
