The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s women’s basketball team led for more than 27 minutes of Monday’s game against Central Florida. But the Mocs didn’t have the lead when it counts.
The Knights made three pivotal steals in the final minute, the second providing the lead and the last to preserve it, and Central Florida came away with a 58-57 victory at Maclellan Gymnasium in a game being billed as “Back to the Mac” – the former home of Mocs’ basketball.
UTC coach Jim Foster pointed out a variety of things his team could’ve done better down the stretch in particular to help his young guards. He finished his thought by saying, “It’s the little things your team needs to learn for us to be better,” as his team dropped to 0-2 after its home opener.
The Mocs took a 17-15 lead when Shelbie Davenport scored on a scoop shot in the lane for the first points of the second quarter, and from there they remained in the lead until Nyala Shuler’s steal led to her layup with 4:18 to play and a 53-52 lead for Central Florida (1-1).
The Mocs’ Jacobi Lynn made a 3-point shot from the left wing at the 3:18 mark before Korneila Wright tied it with a jump shot from just inside the arc on the Knights’ next possession. Keiana Gilbert then penetrated from the right wing and scored in the lane with 2:25 to play for two of her 11 points and what would be the Mocs’ last lead and their last points.