Mercer Snaps Mocs Home Court SoCon Win Streak at 53

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (UTC Athletics) — The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga fell at home for the first time since 2011 in Southern Conference action with a 71-50 loss to Mercer Saturday afternoon. The Mocs fall to 13-8 overall and 4-3 in league play. The Bears remain undefeated through the first half of SoCon play at 7-0 and improve to 20-2 on the year.

Chattanooga’s last loss at home to a Southern Conference opponent was February 14, 2011 against former SoCon member Appalachian State.

After trailing the Bears 23-5 at the end of the first, the Mocs outscored Mercer 17-4 over a five minute period to cut the lead to 27-22 with 2:20 to play in the first half. The Bears pushed the lead back out to nine, 33-24 at the half.

“We were tentative and not taking what they gave us,” Chattanooga head coach Jim Foster said. “We tried to get something better or weren’t aggressive when we should have been. Effort was fair. I thought a position or two we were weak.

“We weren’t executing things fundamentally, defensively, that we needed to do. That’s been an ongoing dilemma with some. That’s why we keep shuffling our lineup.”

The third quarter saw Mercer stretch its lead back into double figures at 58-36, for its largest lead of the game.

Bouldin was 2-of-5 from the 3-point line and led the Mocs with 12 points. Aryanna Gilbert, with seven points in the fourth quarter, had 11 points and five rebounds. Arianne Whitaker came off the bench to contribute 10 points, tying her season-high, and had four rebounds.

UTC was 21-of-56 from the floor and 4-of-15 from the 3-point line. UTC had a season-low four free throws in four attempts.

Just straight savage, Shelbie. @GoMocsWBK @ScrappyUTC @GoMocsManiacs @MercerWBB pic.twitter.com/U9CQA5uBPI

— Angela Moryan (@SidelineStormer) January 27, 2018

Mercer outrebounded the Mocs 41-24 and had 12 second chance points on 11 offensive boards compared to the Mocs’ three points on five offensive rebounds. The Bears held a 30-20 advantage in the paint.

Chattanooga converted 10 turnovers into 13 points compared to Mercer’s five points on nine UTC miscues. The Mocs’ bench contributed 25 points.

SoCon-leading scorers Kahlia Lawrence and KeKe Calloway each had 17 points, both shy of their average. Sydni Means just missed a double-double with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds and five assists. Rachel Selph was the fourth Mercer player in double figures with 12 points and six rebounds.

The Bears shot 50 percent from the field but were held to 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. They made 8-of-9 from the free throw line while the two teams combined for just 17 fouls and 19 turnovers.

“They were a veteran team that played like a veteran team,” Foster said. “Our veterans will be better as we progress. Our young players are starting to figure it out. The tempo and how we approached the game tonight was a surprise. I think a film session will help.”

The Mocs will hit the road for a two game swing next week. Foster’s next chance to become the eighth coach in NCAA women’s basketball history to reach the 900-win mark will be Thursday, February 1st at Western Carolina. The game will be a true double header as the Mocs men’s team will take on the Catamounts in the second game. The women’s game will tip at 5:00 p.m. at the Ramsey Center. Follow all of the action online at GoMocs.com.