CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team continued its run through arguably one of the toughest early season schedules in the country when it hosted No. 14 Kentucky Saturday night. The Lady Mocs put up a solid effort in front of a big crowd at McKenzie Arena before falling 79-64.
This was the third ranked opponent from the Southeastern Conference for the Lady Mocs this season. Chattanooga (3-5, 1-0 SoCon) had already traveled to No. 4 Tennessee and No. 18 Georgia. Coming off an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight, Kentucky (7-1, 0-0 SEC) was the sixth team on Chattanooga's schedule that advanced to the postseason in 2009-10.
Kentucky came into the game leading the SEC with 13.4 steals per game and was No. 5 in the country with a +10/game turnover margin. They used their speed to frustrate the Lady Mocs all night. The Wildcats extended their defense well beyond the three-point line and made it tough for UTC to get into an offensive rhythm.
Despite the tough defense, Chattanooga only trailed 15-11 midway through the first half. However, Kentucky went on a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to temporarily take control. The Wildcats got back-to-back 3-pointers from Samantha Drake and Bernisha Pinkett to grab a 27-13 lead at the 7:40 mark.
That was Kentucky's biggest advantage in the half as they hit 4-of-9 from deep in the first 20 minutes. The Lady Mocs were able to cut into the deficit thanks to three straight baskets by junior Whitney Hood (Meridian, Miss.). Her strong move inside with 1:05 left in the first closed the gap to 33-26. Hood put up 14 points in the first frame to keep the Lady Mocs close.
The Wildcats shot 15-of-31 (48.4%) from the field in the opening stanza. Chattanooga was forced into eight turnovers and shot just 13-of-31 (41.9%) in the opening half.
Kentucky's Victoria Dunlap was relatively quiet in the first 20 minutes, scoring eight points and grabbing two boards after getting two quick fouls early and making a brief exit. The reigning SEC Player of the Year came into the game leading the league in both categories with 18.2 ppg and 11.8 ppg.
Chattanooga head coach Wes Moore, who was looking for his 494th career win, made some adjustments at the break and started throwing the ball over the top to beat the Wildcat pressure. That led to some breakaway chances for the Lady Mocs and got them back in the game.
Chattanooga came out on fire to start the second, hitting their first six shots from the field. Most of the 3,139 fans who made it out for the Mocs Basketball Doubleheader stuck around for the women's game and made their presence heard during that stretch.
UTC took the lead on back-to-back baskets from sophomore Kayla Christopher (Oliver Springs, Tenn.). Her three-pointer from the left wing gave Chattanooga a 42-41 advantage with 17:40 on the clock and sent the Lady Moc faithful into a frenzy.
After a score inside by Dunlap, Christopher nailed another three for a 45-43 Chattanooga advantage with 15:35 left in the game. That basket was the highlight of the night as UTC went cold for the rest of the game. The Wildcats to put together a 17-4 run, capped by Dunlap's inside score for a 60-49 cushion with 10 minutes left.
That was as close as Chattanooga would get for the remainder of the game as Kentucky cruised to the win. Dunlap finished with a game-high 26 points, 18 in the second half, to go with nine rebounds and three steals.
Hood, the leading scorer in the Southern Conference, held her own against another tough team. She finished with 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting and a team-high eight boards. Christopher added 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting, 2-for-5 from 3-point range. Junior Tenisha Townsend (Antioch, Tenn.) was also in double-figures for Chattanooga, adding 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting, 3-for-6 from behind the arc.
Chattanooga actually handled the Wildcat pressure relatively well. UTC's 16 turnovers were the fewest Kentucky has forced all season. Kentucky's eight steals were its second-lowest total on the year.
The Lady Mocs will hit the road for the rest of the calendar year, starting a four-game trip away from McKenzie Arena at the College of Charleston on Dec. 16. UTC's next home game is set for Jan. 2 when it hosts Wofford at 3:00 p.m. (EST).
