UTC women fall flat in loss to Virginia Tech

UTC's Lakelyn Bouldin (33) tires to get past's Tech's Regan Magarity (11) and Kendyl Brooks (10).  The Virginia Tech Hokies visited the University of Chattanooga at Tennessee Mocs in women's basketball action at McKenzie Arena on December 10, 2017.
UTC's Lakelyn Bouldin (33) tires to get past's Tech's Regan Magarity (11) and Kendyl Brooks (10). The Virginia Tech Hokies visited the University of Chattanooga at Tennessee Mocs in women's basketball action at McKenzie Arena on December 10, 2017.

The intensity level of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team wasn't where it needed to be from the beginning of Sunday's home game against Virginia Tech.

The Hokies made the Mocs pay for that mistake.

The visitors led for more than 36 minutes of game time, taking a double-digit lead for good halfway through the second quarter and cruising to a 64-44 win over the Mocs at McKenzie Arena. The loss halted a six-game winning streak for UTC, which won't play again until next Sunday's 1 p.m. home game against Florida Gulf Coast.

The Mocs (6-4) shot 31 percent from the floor, with Lakelyn Bouldin, Aryanna Gilbert and Keiana Gilbert combining for 32 of UTC's points. They also combined for 35 of the Mocs' 48 shots, with the other seven players combining to go 3-for-13.

The Hokies led 12-5 after a first quarter in which they shot just 4-for-16 but held the Mocs to 2-for-10 and outrebounded their hosts 14-7, with six offensive rebounds leading to five second-chance points. UTC cut Virginia Tech's lead to 12-10 in the second quarter on a 3-pointer by Jacobi Lynn, but a layup by Taylor Emery gave the Hokies a 26-15 lead and a double-digit advantage they wouldn't lose.

"We didn't compete to the level they came out and competed in," Keiana Gilbert said. "That hurt us. We didn't get enough stops when we needed to."

The Hokies (9-2) were led by Kendyl Brooks and Regan Magarity, who each scored 14. Chanette Hicks added 13. Brooks, an excellent set shooter, was 4-for-9 from 3-point range.

UTC coach Jim Foster wasn't pleased with his team's lack of intensity.

"It makes no difference if I address it. I'm not going out and playing," he said. "Until we hold ourselves accountable and have an attitude about it and walk out with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder, it starts there.

"We're not talented enough to outscore people. We have to guard them, we have to be creative with how we play, we have to play with a great deal of intensity. That's why we play the schedule we play. We can't take a day off, and our freshmen have to understand that and have to learn quickly, on the fly. We need somebody to help us coming off the bench. We need the posts to get engaged and wake up to the reality of showing up every day and not making excuses. This is what they do more than anything else in their life. I don't have any concert pianists; I don't have any great saxophone players. It's basketball, that's what they do. Well, show up.

"What does it say about us if we can't show up on a daily basis for what it is that we have a passion for?

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.

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