Lady Eagles Handle Lady Mocs, 66-65
1/3/2009 5:07:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, GA - Chattanooga led by one point with 21 seconds left in the game, but a jumper from the wing by Jamie Navarro put the Eagles back on top, 66-65. Back-to-back turnovers followed giving UTC the possession with four seconds left, but the Eagles outlasted the Mocs and closed out the win Saturday afternoon (Jan. 3) at Hanner Fieldhouse. The win snapped a 27-game Southern Conference win streak by Chattanooga as Georgia Southern recorded its first win over the Mocs since January 4, 2005 in Statesboro.
The Eagles handed Chattanooga its first conference loss of the year, as the Mocs dropped to 9-6, 5-1. Georgia Southern improved its record to 9-5, 4-1 with the victory.
“To win the first game of the New Year is wonderful, especially when it is over Chattanooga,” said head coach Rusty Cram. “Chattanooga is a great ball club.”
Senior Ashley Rivens (Charlotte, N.C.) led the Eagles in their 53.2 shooting percentage on the game, chipping in 17 points and clearing away five rebounds. Rivens was paramount in the win, connecting on 7 of 10 from the floor, 3 of 4 from beyond the three-point arc. The Eagles won the rebounding battle over the Mocs, 33-25, with J'Lisia Ogburn (Dublin, Ga.) and Navarro (Naples, Fla.) both pulling down a team-high six boards apiece.
Georgia Southern trailed in the first half until the 7:24 mark when it was tied 18-all. A 3-pointer from Ashley Melson (Newnan, Ga.) put the Eagles in the lead with 7:09 left in the opening stanza. The Mocs managed to tie the game one more time before Georgia Southern broke away and led by as many as seven points by the fourth media timeout. The Eagles headed to the locker room with a 35-27 advantage.
Rivens led all scorers at the half with nine points, but Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.) followed right behind with eight; Williams nailed 2 of 3 field goals from three-point land in the first 20 minutes. Georgia Southern kept a close handle on the Southern Conference's leading scorer, Shanara Hollinquest, who managed to tip in only eight points in the first half for Chattanooga.
The Lady Eagles quickly pushed their lead to double digits in the second half, but the Mocs would slowly chip away at Georgia Southern's comfortable lead. An 11-4 Chattanooga run forced a :30 second timeout from Georgia Southern as the Mocs trailed by just one at the 9:02 mark.
The timeout sparked a Georgia Southern run and the Eagles led 57-48 after Rivens nailed a long three at the 5:28 mark. But the Mocs would outscore the Eagles 17-7 over the next 5:07 and would take the lead, 65-64, off a lay-up and free throw from Hollinquest with :20 seconds left.
Chattanooga tightened the pressure on Georgia Southern, but Navarro managed to down a jumper with seven seconds left in the game, giving the Eagles their final 66-65 score.
Chattanooga forced only three turnovers from Georgia Southern in the second half as the Eagles shot 54.5 percent in the final 20 minutes, 53.2 percent for the game. The Eagles shot well from behind the three-point arc in the game, hitting 8 of 12 (66.7 percent); the Mocs attempted 24 from three-point land, but only made nine (37.5 percent).
Jenaya Wade-Fray led Chattanooga with a team-high 21 points, followed by Hollinquest who added 20. Hollinquest also led the rebounding battle for the Mocs, clearing away a team-high nine. Chattanooga shot 46.2 percent from the floor, 50 percent in the second half.
Georgia Southern will look to defend its home court again when they host conference foe Samford on Monday, January 5. Tip-off is slated for 7 pm at Hanner Fieldhouse.
The Eagles handed Chattanooga its first conference loss of the year, as the Mocs dropped to 9-6, 5-1. Georgia Southern improved its record to 9-5, 4-1 with the victory.
“To win the first game of the New Year is wonderful, especially when it is over Chattanooga,” said head coach Rusty Cram. “Chattanooga is a great ball club.”
Senior Ashley Rivens (Charlotte, N.C.) led the Eagles in their 53.2 shooting percentage on the game, chipping in 17 points and clearing away five rebounds. Rivens was paramount in the win, connecting on 7 of 10 from the floor, 3 of 4 from beyond the three-point arc. The Eagles won the rebounding battle over the Mocs, 33-25, with J'Lisia Ogburn (Dublin, Ga.) and Navarro (Naples, Fla.) both pulling down a team-high six boards apiece.
Georgia Southern trailed in the first half until the 7:24 mark when it was tied 18-all. A 3-pointer from Ashley Melson (Newnan, Ga.) put the Eagles in the lead with 7:09 left in the opening stanza. The Mocs managed to tie the game one more time before Georgia Southern broke away and led by as many as seven points by the fourth media timeout. The Eagles headed to the locker room with a 35-27 advantage.
Rivens led all scorers at the half with nine points, but Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.) followed right behind with eight; Williams nailed 2 of 3 field goals from three-point land in the first 20 minutes. Georgia Southern kept a close handle on the Southern Conference's leading scorer, Shanara Hollinquest, who managed to tip in only eight points in the first half for Chattanooga.
The Lady Eagles quickly pushed their lead to double digits in the second half, but the Mocs would slowly chip away at Georgia Southern's comfortable lead. An 11-4 Chattanooga run forced a :30 second timeout from Georgia Southern as the Mocs trailed by just one at the 9:02 mark.
The timeout sparked a Georgia Southern run and the Eagles led 57-48 after Rivens nailed a long three at the 5:28 mark. But the Mocs would outscore the Eagles 17-7 over the next 5:07 and would take the lead, 65-64, off a lay-up and free throw from Hollinquest with :20 seconds left.
Chattanooga tightened the pressure on Georgia Southern, but Navarro managed to down a jumper with seven seconds left in the game, giving the Eagles their final 66-65 score.
Chattanooga forced only three turnovers from Georgia Southern in the second half as the Eagles shot 54.5 percent in the final 20 minutes, 53.2 percent for the game. The Eagles shot well from behind the three-point arc in the game, hitting 8 of 12 (66.7 percent); the Mocs attempted 24 from three-point land, but only made nine (37.5 percent).
Jenaya Wade-Fray led Chattanooga with a team-high 21 points, followed by Hollinquest who added 20. Hollinquest also led the rebounding battle for the Mocs, clearing away a team-high nine. Chattanooga shot 46.2 percent from the floor, 50 percent in the second half.
Georgia Southern will look to defend its home court again when they host conference foe Samford on Monday, January 5. Tip-off is slated for 7 pm at Hanner Fieldhouse.
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