CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team got its first win of the season with a 71-61 victory over Austin Peay in the McKenzie Arena Tuesday night. The Lady Mocs (1-3) faced their fourth straight NCAA Tournament team to start the 2010-11 season, and got a career-high 27 points from junior Whitney Hood (Meridian, Miss).
Hood led the way, shooting 12-of-21 from the floor and 3-for-8 from the foul line. APSU (1-4) was paced by 19 points from Whitney Hanley. She played all 40 minutes and hit 7-of-11 from the floor and went 5-for-8 from 3-point range.
The Lady Mocs came out on fire, nailing their first eight shots from the field, including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and both attempts from the charity stripe. UTC would push to a 25-10 lead on a layup inside from Hood with 11:45 left in the first half. Freshman Alex Black (Memphis, Tenn.) made her first start of the year and led the opening run with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
The Lady Govs came roaring back with a 13-0 charge on five straight baskets, including three quick 3-pointers. In just over two minutes of action, Austin Peay had all but dissolved the Chattanooga lead to 25-23. Hanley hit back-to-back threes in that run to close the gap.
The Lady Mocs shooting touch disappeared for the rest of the half as they hit only one of their last eight attempts from 3-point range. However, junior Tenisha Townsend (Antioch, Tenn.) kept the Lady Govs at bay with six points down the stretch. UTC 's 38-33 halftime lead was its first of the season.
Chattanooga went ahead 45-37 to start the second half after a free throw from Black at the 16:40 mark. Austin Peay scored the next five points to pull to within three 45-42, but that was as close as they would get for the rest of the game.
Hood scored twice inside, then two more baskets by sophomore Kylie Lambert (Etowah, Tenn.) gave the Lady Mocs an 8-0 run and a 53-42 cushion with 12:44 on the clock. Chattanooga played a very clean game in the second half, only committing one foul in the final 20 minutes. The Lady Govs were whistled 13 times in the second period. UTC went 16-of-24 from the free throw line while Austin Peay was just 4-for-8.
Three-point shooting kept Austin Peay in the game as they knocked down 7-of-14 from behind the arc. UTC, on the other hand, remained cold from deep, managing just one three in its last 14 attempts.
Townsend finished with excellent numbers, including 14 points, a career-high seven assists and no turnovers in 37 minutes of action. Lambert scored six points and grabbed a game-high and career-high 10 rebounds. Black ended with a season-high 13 points while Hood added five boards and three steals to her totals.
Chattanooga will hit the road for its fifth-straight game against a 2010 postseason team. The Lady Mocs travel to Northridge, Calif., for the Cal State Northridge Holiday Inn Thanksgiving Tournament. UTC opens with Wyoming on Friday, Nov. 26 at 8:00 p.m. (EST). The Cowgirls are coming off a third round appearance in the WNIT last season. Chattanooga will then face the winner of either the host Matadors or Wichita State. WSU was also in the 2010 postseason, advancing to the second round of the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitational.
Friday's game with Wyoming can be heard on ESPN Radio 105.1 FM. Saturday's contest will air on 106.9 FM regardless of time or opponent. Live stats and live audio will be available at the official website of Chattanooga athletics, GoMocs.com.
Chattanooga's next home contest is the second game of a televised doubleheader with the men's team on Saturday, Dec. 4. The Mocs host Western Carolina at 1:00 p.m. and the Lady Mocs face Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern at 3:30 p.m. Both games will air on SportSouth (DirecTV 649, Dish Network 437, Comcast Chattanooga 53, EPB Chattanooga 33). Tickets are available at the UTC Ticket Office by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627) or online on GoMocs.com.
