DAVIDSON, N.C. --- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior Bailey Dewart (Spartanburg, S.C.) nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key with time running out to give the Lady Mocs a 54-51 win over Davidson in Southern Conference women's basketball action Friday night at Belk Arena.
With 6.6 seconds on the clock, UTC Head Coach Wes Moore called a time-out to set up a final play for the Lady Mocs. Sophomore Kayla Christopher (Oliver Springs, Tenn.) was called upon to get the ball on the inbounds, but the Wildcats had her smothered much like she was throughout the game. Dewart, standing just a few feet away, called for the ball and squared up to drain the 3-pointer from just to the left side at the top of the key. The ball snapped the net with the buzzer sounding to give the Lady Mocs the win.
Chattanooga (8-9, 5-3 SoCon) trailed from the start of the game with the Wildcats getting out front 20-8 with 11:15 to play in the first half. Freshman Meghan Downes (Fairburn, Ga.) drained a 3-pointer to cut into the lead and Chattanooga would get as close as three by halftime with the Wildcats leading 27-24 at the break.
The second half started slow with Davidson (5-9, 1-5 SoCon) grabbing the first bucket of the stanza on a layup from Laura Murray to put the Wildcats up 29-24 with 17:31 to play. Sophia Aleksandravicius hit just the second of two free throws to give Davidson its largest lead of the second half at 30-24.
The Lady Mocs cut the lead to 32-31 on a 3-pointer from Christopher followed by a layup from junior Whitney Hood (Meridian, Miss.) with 14:29 to play. The Wildcats would get its lead back up to five, 40-35 and Hood hit a layup to cut it to 40-37. On a missed 3-point attempt by UTC, Downes crashed the boards for the rebound and was fouled on the way down. That set up a jumper in the lane by freshman Destiny Bramblett (Radcliff, Ky.) who was fouled. She drained the free throw to tie the game for the first time since early in the first half.
Davidson got the lead back, but Chattanooga continued to fight back and took the lead on a layup from Hood. Sophomore Kiara Smith (Rome, Ga.) drained a career-high tying third 3-pointer to give Chattanooga a 47-43 lead with 6:49 to play. The Lady Mocs held on to the tenuous lead over the next four minutes before Davidson got back out front, 50-49 on a jumper in the lane from Sophia Aleksandravicius with 2:36 to play.
Davidson's final point of the game would be on a free throw from Chloe Woodington who hit the front end of a two free throws to give her team a 51-49 lead. Christopher drove in to hit a jumper from the right side and tie it up 51-51 with 49 ticks on the clock.
The Wildcats' Aleksandravicius missed a short jumper and sophomore Kylie Lambert (Etowah, Tenn.) came up with the rebound with 19 seconds to play. The Lady Mocs drove the court and with 6.6 seconds to play, Moore called the time out to set up the final play for the win.
Davidson edged the Lady Mocs on the boards 36-35, but Chattanooga got more production from its bench 15-6. Hood had a game-high 17 points and four rebounds while Smith, with three huge 3-pointers, had nine points and one steal. Junior Tenisha Townsend (Antioch, Tenn.) had seven points for the Lady Mocs along with three assists and two steals.
Davidson was led by Murray's 17 points and 16 from Aleksandravicius who added eight rebounds. Woodington had five assists and Barbara Sitton had four assists.
The Lady Mocs head to Boone, N.C., to take on Appalachian State at the Holmes Convocation Center Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available at GoMocs.com and Larry Ward, the "Voice of the Lady Mocs" will have the call on ESPN 105.1 FM.
