The last time the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team faced the College of Charleston at McKenzie Arena, the Cougars ended the Lady Mocs' season.
In a game that was close but seldom pretty -- neither team shot very well -- the Cougars edged UTC 53-51 in the semifinals of last season's Southern Conference tournament. After UTC tied the score at 51 with 17 seconds left, Deidra Jones scored inside amid a swarm of defenders with 3.5 seconds left for the win.
The teams play again at 7 tonight in McKenzie, and Charleston is 9-3 and leading the league at 4-0.
"This is kind of a revenge game," UTC senior Jenaya Wade-Fray said.
While UTC was picked in the preseason to win its 11th SoCon regular-season title in a row, the Cougars are the only team without a loss in league play. They've won three times at home and defeated Furman on the road.
"Essentially it's the same team (as last season)," Lady Mocs coach Wes Moore said. "They've got a lot of veteran players that know the system and know how to win. It's an important game, obviously."
The Lady Mocs, meanwhile, have a predominantly young team and have looked vulnerable at times this season. Still, they have the league's top scorer and rebounder in Shanara Hollinquest and an all-court threat in Wade-Fray, and the freshmen they rely on heavily have shown some signs of maturation.
In the Saint Peter's College Holiday Classic earlier this week, freshman forward Erin Helton had 14 points and 11 rebounds, as well as four blocks, in UTC's double-overtime win over Richmond -- her first double-double. She also scored the tying basket that forced overtime.
Kayla Christopher has been UTC's most consistent freshman. The 5-foot-9 guard is third on the team in scoring (7.6 points per game) and second in rebounding (5.8) and assists (2.4).
The Lady Mocs will have a very good idea of where they stand in the SoCon after facing the Cougars tonight and Georgia Southern (7-5, 2-1) on Monday.
"At the end of the weekend, we could be right back in it, right back in the thick of things," Moore said. "So that's what we've got to try to do."