UTC 62, Harvard 58
Harvard (5-8)Healy 9-16 0-2 19, Redford 0-4 0-0 0, Tummala 4-9 0-0 11, Metoyer 0-3 0-0 0, Raster 1-6 2-2 5, Nunley 4-8 3-5 11, Porter 2-5 0-0 4, Finley 0-0 2-2 2, Skinner 2-8 1-3 6. Totals 22-59 8-14 58.UTC (9-5)Joyner 7-15 2-2 16, Payne 1-6 2-2 5, K. Gilbert 2-6 1-1 5, Johnson 5-6 0-0 11, Burks 2-6 0-0 6, Noblit 0-2 0-0 0, Alford 4-5 1-2 9, Vanlandingham 2-3 0-0 4, Chilton 1-4 0-0 2, A. Gilbert 2-3 0-0 4, Wert 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 26-57 4-17 62.Halftime—UTC, 33-20. 3-point goals—Harvard 6-19 (Tummala 3-6, Healy 1-1, Raster 1-2, Skinner 1-3, Redford 0-2, Porter 0-2, Metoyer 0-3); UTC 4-17 (Burks 2-6, Johnson 1-1, Payne 1-2, Alford 0-1, Vanlandingham 0-1, Chilton 0-2, Noblit 0-2, Joyner 0-2). Rebounds—Harvard 37 (Tummala 7, Nunley 7); UTC 35 (Joyner 9). Assists—Harvard 17 (Redford 6); UTC 14 (Payne 6). Turnovers—Harvard (5 with 2); UTC 13 (4 with 2). Blocks—Harvard 1 (Metoyer); UTC 6 (Joyner 2). Steals—Harvard 5 (Nunley 2); UTC 3 (Payne 2). Total fouls—Harvard 13; UTC 12. Fouled out—none. A—1,398.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team had an advantage athletically Monday night in its game against Harvard.
The Mocs did a great job of exploiting it.
UTC built a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter and held on for a 62-58 win over the Crimson in front of 1,398 fans at McKenzie Arena. It was the Mocs' final nonleague game before Southern Conference action starts with a game at Wofford on Thursday.
Jasmine Joyner had 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, while Moses Johnson added 11 points and five rebounds for UTC (9-5). Queen Alford scored nine points, while Alicia Payne had six assists with only one turnover in 38 minutes of action.
"We got the ball out and pushed, and we got a lot of fastbreak layups off of it," Johnson said. "We just kept pushing the ball up the floor, and when we were in the half court, we moved the ball and got good looks."
The Mocs shot 45 percent from the field and had 10 fastbreak points, using their athletic advantage to get quality looks early in the shot clock and pushing the ball upcourt every chance they had. They also moved the ball well, totaling 14 assists.
"We have to move the ball," UTC coach Jim Foster said. "We've got some players that like to score off the bounce, but you have to move the defense. We play a couple of teams that don't leave the lane, and you're not going to beat those teams, not going to compete, unless you get them to guard you. The only way to get them to guard you is to keep moving the ball."
The Crimson (5-8) were limited to 37 percent shooting from the field, bothered continually by the Mocs' length and speed.
"We don't get concerned when we don't hit shots, because we guard people," Foster said. "When you guard people, you'll eventually start to make shots. When you don't guard, those early shots have a lot more impact."
UTC used an 11-2 run over the final 4:11 to build a 33-20 halftime lead, taking advantage of every missed shot or turnover to get out on the break. The Mocs stretched the margin to 17 after three quarters and led 61-44 with 2:21 remaining before the Crimson finished the game on a 14-1 run, hitting a trio of 3-pointers to make the final score look closer than the game was.
AnnMarie Healy had 19 points to lead the Crimson, while Shilpa Tummala and Destiny Nunley added 11 and 10 with seven rebounds apiece.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.