BOX SCORE AND PLAY-BY-PLAY
CHARLESTON, S.C. --- Chattanooga's Shanara Hollinquest and Erin Ogan teamed up for their third combined double-double this season to lead the Lady Mocs to a 61-55 Southern Conference women's basketball win over the College of Charleston Monday night at the new Carolina First Arena.
The win moves the Lady Mocs to 10-6 overall and 6-1 in league play while the Cougars fall to 8-5 and 2-4 in SoCon action.
Hollinquest led all scorers with 22 points and 11 rebounds including eight makes from the free throw line while Ogan, with a 7-for-8 performance from the charity stripe, had 15 points and a career high 14 boards on the night. Jenaya Wade-Fray went 4-for-9 from the 3-point line and was the third Chattanooga player in double digits with 13 points.
After leading by six points at the half, the Lady Mocs increased its lead to 40-28 at the 16:17 mark in the second half on a pair of free throws from Tagan Hatchett. That was the best it would get for the Lady Mocs as Charleston pushed its way back into the game and cut the lead to 40-35 over the next four minutes before the Lady Mocs scored again.
The Cougars would continue to chip away and got to within two with just 29 seconds to play on a 3-pointer from Jade Hughes. On the ensuing throw-in by Chattanooga, Ogan's pass was blocked and Nikki Williams grabbed the ball, but lightning wouldn't strike twice for Hughes who missed the trey attempt. Hollinquest was fouled on the rebound and made one of her two free throw attempts to give UTC a 58-55 lead with 21 ticks on the clock.
Charleston's Tonia Gerty couldn't get her 3-pointer to go and Tagan Hatchett drew the foul on the rebound and sank both free throws to push the lead to 60-55 with just four seconds to go. After another missed 3-point attempt by the Cougars and a CofC foul, Ogan hit one of her two free throws attempts for the final score.
This marked the fouth time Hollinquest has scored 20 or more points in a game and her fifth double-double this season. It is Ogan's fourth double-double on the year while Wade-Fray tied her season-high for 3-pointers with four.
Gerty had a team-high 18 points for the Cougars and Hughes had 10 points. Sarah Moye had a team-high eight rebounds and Brooke Kotcella pulled down eight boards.
The College of Charleston forced 20 Chattanooga turnovers and scored 19 points and had six second chance points off 11 offensive rebounds. The Lady Mocs outrebounded CofC 42-39 and tallied 14 assists.
The Lady Mocs will remain on the road with a league contest at Western Carolina on Monday, Jan. 12 in Cullowhee, N.C. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m.
