The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team blew past Wofford 76-56, to claim its fifth straight Southern Conference title and 21st overall. The Mocs finished the season tied with Mercer for the crown. UTC beat Mercer twice in the regular season and claims the No. 1 seed in the upcoming SoCon Tournament.
The Mocs are 18-10 overall and 12-2 in league play. Wofford drops to 13-16 on the year and 3-11 against the conference.
Senior Jasmine Joyner (Southaven, Miss.) posted her fifth straight double-double with 19 points, 14 rebound and four assists, all game highs.
With two blocked shots in the game, she now has 427 over her career and is ranked 10th all-time in the NCAA.
Freshman Lakelyn Bouldin (Spencer, Tenn.) was 3-of-6 from beyond the arc with 11 points and three boards. Junior Chelsey Shumpert (Paducah, Ky.) was 2-of-4 from the arc and pulled down four rebounds and had two assists.
The Mocs shot 56.7 percent in the second half, 9-of-14 in the fourth quarter and outscored Wofford 42-30 in the last 20 minutes to come away with a 20-point victory over the Terriers. Senior Queen Alford (Decatur, Ga.) hit a layup with 2:35 to play in the game to give the Mocs’ their largest lead of the game at 72-51.
UTC was 29-of-58 for the game, the third time in the last five games that the Mocs have shot 50 percent or better. Chattanooga was 9-of-23 from the 3-point line, matching its second-best effort this season, and was 9-of-11 from the free throw line.
Chattanooga jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead but Wofford responded with an 8-2 run to lead the Mocs 8-7 midway through the first quarter. It would, however, be their only lead of the game. Joyner sparked a 9-2 run with a pair of free throws and capped it with a layup with 1:07 to play in the opening frame to give UTC a 16-12 first quarter lead.
The second quarter would be a tight contest at 18-14, stretching Chattanooga’s lead to 34-26 at the half. Sophomore Shelbie Davenport (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) hit a pair of 3-pointers in the period and Alford added one more on the Mocs’ four attempts. UTC was 7-of-16 from the field for a 46.7 percent effort.
Wofford’s Chloe Wanink hit a 3-pointer to start the third quarter, but the Mocs would outscore the Terriers 16-7 over the next 4:28 to stretch the lead to 50-36 on a 3-pointer from Bouldin. Her trey in the final minute of the quarter would keep the Mocs’s lead to 14 headed into the final frame.
The Mocs dominated the paint 38-14 and were 23-10 on second chance points, converting 18 offensive rebounds. Chattanooga allowed a season-low 18 rebounds and had just five miscues in the game leading to a 9-8 Terrier advantage on points off turnovers. The Mocs’ bench, led in scoring by senior Moses Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.) outscored Wofford 26-13. Senior Sydney Vanlandingham connected on her one 3-point attempt in the game along with a steal and assist and Alford added seven points.
Chattanooga’s seniors Queen Alford, Moses Johnson, Jasmine Joyner and Sydney Vanlandingham were all honored after the game in front of more than 3,000 fans and celebrated head coach Jim Foster’s 100th victory with Chattanooga and his fourth regular season title in as many years with the Mocs.
The Mocs earn the top seed in the tie-break scenario with Mercer having beaten the Bears in both meetings this year. Chattanooga will play the 11:30 a.m. Education Day game Thursday at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, N.C., in the quarterfinal round of the Southern Conference Tournament.