CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Fans who spent their Valentine's Day afternoon at McKenzie Arena, got treated to a wild game. However, it was one that Chattanooga was defeated in double overtime by ETSU. The 91-90 result marked UTC's second consecutive loss after winning 12 games in a row.

A last-second lay-in for the Bucs in the closing seconds of the second overtime decided the game. It was just the sixth game in program history to go to double overtime.

Caia Elisaldez and Gianna Corbitt, especially in the late moments of the game, led the Mocs offensively. Elisaldez totaled a career-high 27 points, five assists, and five rebounds. She scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. Corbitt on the other hand, posted her sixth double-double of the season with 25 points and 13 rebounds. She was efficient offensively, shooting at a rate of 69.2% (9-13) and a 75% (3-4) mark from three.

Early on in the game, it was Ava Card carrying the load for Chattanooga, scoring a career-high 17 points. She also brought down seven rebounds for the Mocs. Leading the way for ETSU was Daniela Lopez, who scored a game-high 28 points, and had the game-winning bucket for the away side.  

Looking at the team statistics, Chattanooga won the rebound battle 46-32. Offensively, each team shot a high percentage with ETSU holding a 50% (35-70) mark while Chattanooga was 47% (33-70) from the field.

Records
Chattanooga: 16-7, 8-2 SoCon
ETSU: 13-12, 6-4 SoCon

In the opening four minutes, the Bucs raced ahead 9-5, started off on a made triple on their first possession. Ava Card scored a quick five points afterwards to get UTC to within two points at 12-10. The remainder of the quarter was back-and-forth, with Chattanooga taking the lead on a pull-up jumper by Elisaldez at the 50-second mark. ETSU scored on its final possession though, to hold a 21-20 lead as the first-quarter buzzer rang.

The second quarter began with a quick 4-0 ETSU run as it once again made a triple in the opening minute. The Bucs lead reached as big as six points, before things started to shift Chattanooga's way. A 9-0 Mocs run, with five points coming from Card, put them ahead 31-28 with 4:08 remaining in the quarter. ETSU later retook the lead at the 1:52 mark, before another 9-0 run by UTC put it up 40-33 at the break. The run was capped off by a second-chance layup from Corbitt with two seconds left.

That lead the Mocs had fought for was quickly erased as they went over three minutes scoreless to begin the third quarter, as the score now read 40-39. An old-fashioned 3-point play from Izzy McPherson got UTC rolling again, and up four points. That being said though, the home side did not extend its lead any further the rest of the quarter. ETSU took 52-50 a lead into the fourth quarter as it knocked down a 3-pointer in the closing seconds.

Chattanooga and ETSU went back-and-forth for the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, before a quick 5-0 run for the Bucs put them up 62-57 with 5:32 remaining. Elisaldez then took over for Chattanooga, scoring eight points down the stretch, helping put her team in front 69-64. However, ETSU responded with a triple and a pair of free throws in the final 38 seconds to send the game to overtime.

In the first overtime, triples by McPherson and Corbitt pushed the Mocs ahead 77-74. ETSU then knocked down a 3-pointer of its own to tie the game with 12 seconds left. Chattanooga's chance to win the game ended in a blocked layup, sending the game to a second overtime.

ETSU built up a quick four-point advantage in the second overtime. Corbitt then put the team on her back, with seven points, including a 3-pointer to tie the game at 85. She also hit a pair of free throws with 21 seconds remaining to put UTC up 90-89. ETSU then hit the winning layup on its next possession, as Lopez got open on a baseline out-of-bounds play in the closing seconds.

Chattanooga moves to 71-26 all-time against ETSU. The Mocs are 36-10 in home games against ETSU. The loss ends an eight-game win streak against the Bucs.

Quote
Head Coach Deandra Schirmer
Opening Statement
"First and foremost, I want to sing the praises of ETSU. I think they came in here in a hostile environment and played really, really hard. There were a couple times where they could have given up, and they could have rolled over, and they just kept coming. They're relentless, and we knew that coming in. So, a lot of credit."

UP NEXT: Chattanooga takes on Western Carolina on Thursday, Feb. 19 for its annual Pink Game. Tip-off from McKenzie Arena is slated for 6 p.m.  

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