Staff Photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press
UTC’s Kayla Christopher drives past Samford’s Ruth Ketcham as UTC loses to Samford 68-66 in overtime during the semifinals of the Southern Conference Championships at McKenzie Arena on Sunday. Ketcham was called for a blocking foul on the play.The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Lady Mocs have no idea what it’s like to play for the Southern Conference basketball tournament championship on their home floor.
They came so close to finding out.
Second-seeded Samford scored the last seven points of regulation and the first seven in overtime to defeat third-seeded UTC 68-66 in Sunday afternoon’s semifinal before a mostly bewildered crowd of 2,433 at McKenzie Arena. The Lady Mocs had a chance to force a second overtime, but Bailey Dewart’s shot after driving the baseline was blocked by Hannah Dawson just before the final horn sounded.
“It hurts to be up so much and then lose that lead,” junior forward Whitney Hood said minutes after UTC’s season ended with a 17-14 record, “but I’m proud of us for continuing to fight at the end.”
Bulldogs coach Mike Morris labeled Sunday’s victory “as good of a basketball game as I’ve been associated with.” Samford, which lost to the Lady Mocs in last year’s title game in Charlotte, improved to 24-7 and will face top-seeded Appalachian State today at 4.