It might not have been quite as lopsided as Thursday night’s 74-45 victory, but Saturday’s 72-58 win by the Chattanooga Lady Mocs over Western Carolina made head coach Katie Burrows as happy as she’s been in a while.
This year’s conference schedule has been different than the past as each team plays other teams twice in three days at the same location. This was the fifth such series for the Lady Mocs, but the first time all season they got a sweep.
Burrows knew that the Lady Catamounts would adjust their approach for Saturday’s second game and they did, playing a much more physical style of basketball when they were whistled for 27 fouls as two starters fouled out and two other players finished the game with four fouls apiece.
The Lady Mocs responded by sinking 30 of 38 free throws and that fact alone allowed the Lady Mocs to maintain a comfortable lead as the game progressed and got closer and closer to the end.
“It was a really physical game and we had to make adjustments to that, but we just got physical back. It seems like we needed all of those foul shots and that’s what won the game for us,” Burrows said in her post-game remarks after her team had improved to 12-8 overall and 7-4 in league play.
“The best news is that we finally put two pretty good games together as we took a step forward today. I thought we struggled to score at times, but we will be a dangerous team by the time the tournament gets here as we have some kids who can come in and produce,” Burrows added.
Eboni Williams, who scored 22 points and was one of four Lady Mocs in double figures, scored the first five points while Lauren LaPlant and Zanoria Cruz made back-to-back 3s, the second by Cruz with 6:11 to play in the first quarter giving the Lady Catamounts their only lead of the game at 6-5.
Bria Dial, who followed Williams with 17 points, sank a pair of long ones to help UTC break a 10-10 tie as the difference was 18-14 when the first stanza ended.
Dial sank two free throws to start the second period and Abbey Cornelius scored four straight points as the lead stretched to 24-14 with 5:57 left before intermission, but it was a 7-0 that gave Chattanooga its biggest lead of the half at 31-19 following the second of two free throws by Anna Walker.
Mykaylyn Davis sank two free throws with just over a minute left as the difference was 31-21 at intermission.
Chattanooga’s lead was still quite comfortable at 45-37 when the third quarter ended before LaPlant converted a three-point play to get the Lady Cats within five at 45-40 with 8:57 to play.
The biggest lead of the game for Chattanooga came with just over three minutes to play after Sigrun Olafsdottir scored on a layup to put the winners ahead 67-49.
While Williams and Dial were doing their thing and scoring almost at will, Dena Jarrells came off the bench and scored 13 points, including all eight of her free throw attempts. Cornelius, who got hammered all game in the lane, came on strong and finished with a dozen points.
Allison and LaPlant and 23 and 13 points, respectively, to lead Western Carolina and were the only two players from their team in double figures. Cruz finished with eight.
Nadia Marshall, who scored 21 points in Thursday’s loss, was saddled with foul trouble all game and didn’t score a point in just over 14 minutes before fouling out with 4:51 to play.
The Lady Catamounts had a 29-27 edge in rebounding as Tembre Moates and Joi Reid both claimed six and Cruz five. Williams had nine boards for Chattanooga while Cornelius claimed six.
The Lady Mocs will be at home for the last time this season next weekend as they host North Carolina-Greensboro on Friday night at 7 and Sunday at 1. Western Carolina will play two games at Furman next weekend.
WESTERN CAROLINA 14 7 16 21 -- 58
CHATTANOOGA 18 13 14 27 -- 72
WESTERN CAROLINA (58) – Allison 23, LaPlant 13, Cruz 8, Marshall, Moates 6, Reid 2, Davis 2, Martin Ruiz 4, Walker.
CHATTANOOGA (72) – Williams 22, Cornelius 12, Olafsdottir 4, Dial 17, Pugh 2, Jarrells 13, Walker 1, Searcy, Hampel 1, Wood.
FIELD GOALS: Western Carolina 22 of 51 for 43.1 percent; Chattanooga 19 of 45 for 42.2 percent.
FREE THROWS: Western Carolina 7 of 11 for 63.6 percent; Chattanooga 30 of 38 for 78.9 percent.
3-POINT GOALS: Western Carolina 7 of 19 for 36.8 percent (Allison 3-4, LaPlant 2-9, Cruz 2-5, Martin Ruiz 0-1); Chattanooga 4 of 13 for 30.8 percent (Olafsdottir 0-1, Dial 3-10, Pugh 0-1, Jarrells 1-1).
REBOUNDS: Western Carolina 29 (Moates 6, Reid 6, Cruz 5); Chattanooga 27 (Williams 9, Cornelius 6, Dial 4).
ASSISTS: Western Carolina 11 (Allison 4, Cruz 3); Chattanooga 10 (Cornelius 3, Jarrells 3).
TURNOVERS: Western Carolina 23 (Allison 6, Reid 4, Martin Ruiz 4); Chattanooga 15 (Williams 5, Cornelius 3, Dial 2, Jarrells 2).
STEALS: Western Carolina 8 (Allison 3, Cruz 2); Chattanooga 10 (Williams 3, Dial 2, Jarrells 2).
BLOCKS: Western Carolina 1 (Moates); Chattanooga 6 (Dial 4, Cornelius 2).
TECHNICAL FOULS: Western Carolina coach.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)