It’s still early in the season and a total learning process for the Chattanooga women, but they lost a basketball game at McKenzie Arena Thursday night that for all practical purposes, they should have won.
Reghan Grimes only scored six points and only sank two of her 11 shots from the field, but the junior from Nashville made the only one that counted on a short bank shot from the left wing with 1.4 seconds left in the game to lift the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles to a 48-46 victory over the Mocs before a sparse crowd of 1,120 fans.
The Mocs forced 29 turnovers and they kept the Golden Eagles honest from the field as they only made 17 of 49 shots, including two of 10 from long range, but Tech improves to 2-0 while Chattanooga is now 1-1.
“That was obviously a defensive battle that started to be a slugfest. We got dominated on the glass and still had 21 turnovers, so that had more possessions than we did, but a heroic defensive effort on our part kept us in the game,” said Chattanooga coach Deandra Schirmer following the game.
“We had a nice lead midway through the second period and all of a sudden it was a one-point game at the half. And then in the second, we were down early in the fourth quarter. We can’t afford to dig ourselves into holes like that.
“Our freshmen played big again and we’re all still trying to figure things out. Nobody is on solid ground right now, but I saw a lot of fight and this is just the beginning. We just have to be more composed and poised in big moments,” she added.
Senior Anna Walker, who starred for the Bradley Bearettes and played her first year in Chattanooga before transferring, was the biggest thorn for the Mocs as she had a double-double, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds as her team had a commanding 42-24 advantage on the glass.
Walker scored five of Tech’s first seven points before Chattanooga used an 8-0 run to grab an 11-7 lead with 4:59 left in the opening quarter following a bucket by Brooke Anya. A 3 by Izzy McPherson with just over a minute left allowed the Mocs to hold a 17-16 lead at the first break.
Anya had back-to-back buckets to start the second period while Karsen Murphy sank a 3 from the key for Chattanooga’s biggest lead of nine points at 26-17 with 4:51 left before halftime. Walker then scored seven of eight points for the Golden Eagles as the difference was a point with 1:52 left.
McPherson added a bucket and Caia Elisaldez a free throw in the final minute before a 3 right before the buzzer by Chloe Larry kept it a one-point game at the break.
Gianna Corbitt scored on a putback to start the second half for a 31-28 Chattanooga lead, but the Golden Eagles then scored eight straight points for a 36-31 lead at the halfway point and it was a struggle for the Mocs the rest of the way.
Elisaldez scored Chattanooga’s final five points, the last two following a steal and layup with 90 seconds to play to tie the score for the last time at 46, setting the stage for Grimes’ game-winner.
The Mocs had more than their share of good looks from the field, but the shots simply would not fall. And after hitting both of their 3-pointers in the first quarter, they only made two of 17 the rest of the way and that certainly didn’t help.
Walker’s 14 points set the tone for Tech while Keeley Carter and Larry were next with eight points each.
Anya topped Chattanooa with a dozen points while Elisaldez had 10. Corbitt finished with nine.
Chattanooga returns to action with another home game next Thursday as they join the Chattanooga men for a double-header, the women facing Troy at 6 before the men play their first home game against Morehead State at 8.
TENNESSEE TECH 16 12 12 8 -- 48
CHATTANOOGA 17 12 5 12 -- 46
TENNESSEE TECH (48) – Anna Walker 14, Larry 8, P. Carter 4, K. Carter 8, Grimes 6, Pfieffer, Thornton 6, Aulbert.
CHATTANOOGA (46) -- Davis, Corbitt 9, Murphy 7, Olafsdottir 3, Caia Elisaldez 10, Brooke Anya 12, Card, McPherson 5, Farrell, van der Schans.
FIELD GOALS: Tennessee Tech 17 of 49 for 34.7 percent; Chattanooga 18 of 50 for 36.0 percent;
THREE-POINT GOALS: Tennessee Tech 2 of 10 for 20.0 percent (Walker 0-1, Larry 1-2, P. Carter 0-3, K. Carter 1-2, Grimes 0-2); Chattanooga 4 of 19 for 21.1 percent (Corbitt 1-3, Murphy 1-7, Olafsdottir 1-4, Card 0-1, McPherson 1-3, Farrell 0-1);
FREE THROWS: Tennessee Tech 12 of 21 for 57.1 percent; Chattanooga 6 of 10 for 60.0 percent;
REBOUNDS: Tennessee Tech 42 (Walker 13, P. Carter 5); Chattanooga (Corbitt, Olafsdottir and Anya with four each);
ASSISTS: Tennessee Tech 6 (Larry 3, K. Carter 2); Chattanooga 7 (Olafsdottir 3, Elisaldez 2);
TURNOVERS: Tennessee Tech 29 (P. Carter 5, K. Carter 5, Larry 4, Grimes 4); Chattanooga 21 (Murphy 5, Elisaldez 4, Anya 4);
STEALS: Tennessee Tech 12 (Grimes 5, P. Carter 3); Chattanooga 17 (Corbitt 5, Murphy 4, Elisaldez 4);
BLOCKS: Tennessee Tech 5 (Five players with one each); Chattanooga 6 (Six players with one each);
ATTENDANCE: 1,120.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)