University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior Aryanna Gilbert scored nine of the Mocs final 11 points to lead UTC to a 71-65 win over Samford at the Pete Hanna Center on the Bulldogs’ Senior Day in Southern Conference women’s basketball action.
“You look at the magnitude of losing your best player [Keiana Gilbert],” Chattanooga head coach Jim Foster said. “We sort of haven’t batted an eye. We went to Mercer and with a minute and change, it was still a two-point game. We did not do well at the end, but that’s what young players have to experience to get better.
Today at the end we were better.”
Chattanooga shot 50 percent in the final quarter making 5-of-10 from the field, including three from long range and was 10-of-10 from the charity stripe.
Gilbert started the frame with a layup to pull the Mocs’ to within one point of the Bulldogs, 51-50. Samford outscored UTC 6-3 over the next 1:08 to pull away 57-53. A quick five points from the Mocs made it a 58-57 Chattanooga advantage with 6:02 to play in the game.
Samford’s Hannah Nichols celebrated her Senior Day with a pair of 3-pointers in a Bulldogs’ 8-2 run for their largest and final lead of the quarter, 65-60, with 3:30 remaining. Those would be Samford’s final points of the game.
Gilbert drained her third and final 3-pointer with 3:15 to play, sparking an 11-0 run by the Mocs. She added a layup and four free throws for nine of her game-high 19 points. She had four assists in the win and five rebounds.
Freshman Brooke Burns and sophomore Lakelyn Bouldin each added 12 points. Burns was 6-of-6 from the free throw line with three rebounds and two 3-pointers. Bouldin added seven rebounds and was 2-of-4 from long range.
Chattanooga’s bench outscored the Bulldogs’ 23-14 led by juniors Shelbie Davenport and Molly Melton. Melton was 3-of-4 from the 3-point line for nine points while Davenport was 3-of-4 from the field with a pair of free throws for eight points and seven rebounds.
“Our bench did a great job,” Foster said. “Shelbie knows there are games that she knows she can really, really impact and there are games where it’s a mismatch situation not in our favor. She’s really worked hard not to put the ball on the floor just to put the ball on the floor.
“Molly had not been taking shots. Today she took shots and they were very makeable shots and they were well within her ability. I think she’s gotten comfortable and she’s made some good shots.”
Chattanooga shot 39.7 percent, making 23-of-58 from the field. UTC was 50 percent (11-of-22) from the free throw line for the third straight game and perfect from the free throw line for the first time since 2009-10 season, making 14-of-14.
Samford was 22-of-53 from the field (41.5%) and 11-of-21 from long range for the most treys allowed by an opponent this season. The Bulldogs were 10-of-16 from the free throw line.
Chattanooga outrebounded Samford 37-32. It was the Mocs’ sixth straight game outrebounding their opponent.
Olivia Crozer led Samford with 15 points making 5-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 free throws. Charity Brown was 4-of-5 from the 3-point line for 14 points and seven rebounds while Nichols scored 13 points in her final game at home and had six boards.
The win moved UTC to 17-11 overall and 8-6 in conference action and secured the No. 3 seed for the Mocs in the Southern Conference Tournament next week in Asheville, N.C. Samford falls to 14-15 on the year and 6-8 against the SoCon and into a tie for fifth with UNCG. The Bulldogs beat the Spartans twice this season and will have the No. 5 seed.
Chattanooga will face No. 6 UNCG Thursday, March 1 at 5:45 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, N.C., in the first round of the SoCon Tournament. Mercer earned the top seed and will take on No. 8 Western Carolina in the “Education Day” game at 11 a.m.
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