Samford’s fast start forced the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball to battle from behind Thursday night at McKenzie Arena, and it ultimately was too much for the Mocs as they lost 71-60.
UTC’s second consecutive Southern Conference defeat came despite double-double performances by UTC forwards Abbey Cornelius and Eboni Williams. Cornelius had 10 first-half points to keep the Mocs in the game and finished with 18 plus 15 rebounds, while Williams scored 10 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
“I would say (Cornelius) and Eboni really just carried us,” UTC coach Katie Burrows said. “They gave us extra opportunities. They got 13 offensive rebounds, and that gave us a chance to stay in the game. We were getting production from those two positions, but I need more from other folks.”
The Bulldogs (7-4, 4-0 SoCon) made five 3-pointers in the first quarter and shot 69.2% from the floor to build a 25-16 lead after the opening 10 minutes, led by Andrea Cournoyer, who finished with a game-high 26 points.
Cornelius helped the Mocs rally in the second quarter, when her jumper with 5:07 left in the period put her into double-digit scoring and pulled UTC within 32-29. Williams then capped a 7-0 run by the Mocs that cut their deficit to a point, but the visitors answered with 10 consecutive points to take a 42-31 lead into the locker room.