UTC led #16 Georgia by 7 and were up 3 at the half, but the Lady Mocs crumbled down the stretch to fall 74-57 before over 4,000 fans at McKenzie Arena.
The Lady Bulldogs were led by Trenton's Ashley Houts, who knocked down 21 points in front of a big Dade County delegation.
But it was fellow guard Jasmine Jones who did the real damage, scoring 25.
UTC trailed 9-2 in the early going, then Jenaya Wade-Fray led a surge that put the Lady Mocs ahead as the half wound down.
The Lady Mocs started the second period, much like they did the first, only managing one field goal in the first eight minutes of the second half. UTC went 1-for-7 with eight turnovers, allowing Georgia to pull ahead on a 14-3 run. A pair of free throws by Porsha Phillips gave the Lady Bulldogs a 47-39 lead with 11:58 left to go.
Shanara Hollinquest stopped the run with a layup at the 11:55 mark as Chattanooga tried to climb back into the game. Three straight three-pointers by freshman Kayla Christopher (Oliver Springs, Tn.) and another jumper by Hollinquest helped UTC cut the lead to 56-52 with 6:53 left in the game. Christopher's third three brought the 4,004 fans in attendance to their feet and electrified the crowd.
However, Georgia's Jasmine James responded with three three-pointers of her own in a 16-2 spurt to put the Lady Bulldogs up 70-54 with two minutes left.
Hollinquest only managed four points on 2-of-6 shooting after the break, but still had a solid outing with 20 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Wade-Fray added 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting, 5-of-10 from 3-point range.
Georgia was led by James' 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 6-for-10 from 3-point range. Ashley Houts added 21 points, game-high five assists and four steals.
The Lady Mocs hit the road for their next game at Kentucky on Sunday. This will be the seventh meeting between the two schools with the Lady Mocs still seeking to put a mark in the win column. Last season, the Wildcats beat UTC in the first round of the WNIT after Erin Ogan nailed a three-pointer to send the game into overtime.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. against the Wildcats. The game can be heard on WPLZ 95.3 The Pulse, in Chattanooga and online on GoMocs.com. UTC's next home game is the DoubleTree Classic at the McKenzie Arena on Nov. 27-28.
The Lady Mocs welcome Evansville, Villanova and Kennesaw State to the Scenic City for the two-day event. Check the women's basketball schedule on GoMocs.com for matchups and game times. For ticket, also visit GoMocs.com or call the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627).