CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Shanara Hollinquest posted 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Chattanooga came back from an 11-point deficit in the final 12 minutes to defeat Samford 72-67 in the Southern Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Championship game in Time Warner Cable Arena Monday evening.
The Lady Mocs (24-8) secure the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It is the 13th tournament title in 13 appearances in the finals with eight coming in head coach Wes Moore's tenure.
Hollinquest was 4-of-8 from the floor and a school record 14-for-14 from the free-throw line. The senior went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the game's final 14 seconds to seal the victory.
Michelle Davis scored 16 points for Chattanooga, and Jenaya Wade-Fray tallied 11 points and nine rebounds. Kayla Christopher finished with 11 points and four boards. The Lady Mocs shot 50 percent in the second half and made all four attempts from the field in the final 3:23 of the contest.
Savannah Hill recorded a game-high 26 points, seven assists and four rebounds for Samford (22-10), while Emily London had 12 points and seven boards. Monica Maxwell registered 10 points and four rebounds.
With the score tied 58-58, Lady Moc Tenisha Townsend hit a triple, and after Hill answered with two free throws for Samford, Davis connected on a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Lady Mocs a 64-60 lead with 1:27 to play.
Chattanooga got a defensive stop, and Townsend made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to make the lead 65-60. After a Maxwell layup for Samford with 35 seconds left on the clock, the Bulldogs elected to foul. Christopher and Wade-Fray combined to go 3-for-4 from the line to open a 68-62 lead with 22 seconds left.
The Bulldogs would not go away, and London's conventional 3-point play trimmed the margin to 68-65 with 15 seconds to go. But Chattanooga went to its leader, and Hollinquest hit four straight free throws to seal the win.
Trailing by 11 points with 12 minutes left, the Lady Mocs scored 10 straight to get within a point at 50-49 with 6:59 remaining. Wade-Fray and Hollinquest each scored four in the run.
Trailing 22-11 midway through the first half, the Bulldogs went on a 17-4 spurt to take a 28-26 lead on a Maxwell 3-pointer with 3:42 left in the half. London scored five points in the run, and Maxwell capped it with a triple.
After a Davis jumper tied the score 28-28, Samford outscored Chattanooga 10-2 the rest of the half and went into the locker room with a 38-30 advantage. Hill scored four during the stretch, while Maxwell and Paige Anderson hit 3-pointers.
That margin would grow to as many as 11 in the second half, and the Bulldogs held a 50-39 lead after a Hill triple with 12:38 to play.
2010 Southern Conference All-Tournament First Team
Kayla Christopher, Chattanooga
Shanara Hollinquest, Chattanooga
Savannah Hill, Samford
Emily London, Samford
Monica Maxwell, Samford
2010 Southern Conference All-Tournament Second Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Chakeitha Weldon, Appalachian State
Michelle Davis, Chattanooga
Jenaya Wade-Fray, Chattanooga
Lakiah Hyson, UNC Greensboro
2010 Southern Conference Championship Most Outstanding
Shanara Hollinquest, Chattanooga
