The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team maintained its hold on the Southern Conference tournament's top seed Saturday with a 60-45 victory over Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C.
The Mocs (16-10, 10-2) will be home for their final two regular-season games, starting Thursday with Furman at 6:30. The Paladins handed UTC one of its two conference losses on Jan. 28 in Greenville, S.C.
Saturday, UTC shot 50 percent from the floor and had 12 second-chance points, taking advantage of nine offensive rebounds. The Mocs held a 35-21 rebounding edge, led by Jasmine Joyner's 12. The 6-foot-2 senior added 11 points and three blocked shots.
Chelsey Shumpert and Lakelyn Bouldin also scored 11 points each, combining to hit five of 10 3-point shots. Aryanna Gilbert got her first start since Nov. 29 and had eight points.
"We just played with a purpose, but we were smart," UTC coach Jim Foster said on the postgame radio broadcast. "Ball reversals were key. They were ready to shoot when it got to them, and they made decisions with what was available to them."
The Mocs built an 18-9 lead in the first quarter. The Catamounts started the second with an 8-2 run, but the Mocs responded with an 11-2 surge to end the period, holding the home team to one field goal in the final 7:55 for a 31-19 lead at halftime.
Again in the third quarter the Catamounts started with a run - a 6-0 spurt - that the Mocs answered, this time with a 12-0 run to help them build the largest lead of the game, 43-27 with 3:26 to go in the period.
The lead never dipped below double digits the rest of the way, allowing Foster to empty his bench. Every player on the roster entered the game for the Mocs.
Tess Harris led Western Carolina (7-21, 2-11) with 17 points. Raziyah Farrington added 10.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.