The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team saw a halftime lead evaporate in the third quarter, leading to a 49-41 Southern Conference loss at UNC Greensboro on Saturday.
The Spartans (13-4, 2-0) outscored the Mocs (2-4, 1-1) 14-6 after UTC parlayed a strong defensive effort and seven early points from Dena Jarrells to take a 22-17 lead into halftime. UNCG used a 10-0 run - with Te'ja Twitty scoring six points - in the third quarter to get out front 31-28 heading into the final period.
NaKeia Burks, who led UTC with 11 points, scored the Mocs' first five points of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 33 with 7:02 to play. UNCG scored the next six, but UTC's Lakelyn Bouldin, who sat out much of the first half with foul trouble, nailed a 3-pointer to close the gap.
The UTC deficit was five with under three to play when Bouldin hit another 3, but the Mocs scored only two more points, part of an 8-for-26 shooting performance in the second half.
Bria Dial added 10 points for UTC, which will host Wofford ono Thursday at 7, while Twitty topped UNCG with 14 points and Aja Boyd had 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
UNCG 49, UTC 41
UTC (2-14, 1-1 SoCon)
Cornelius 2-7 0-0 4, Pene 0-2 0-0 0, Dial 4-9 0-0 10, Burks 5-12 0-0 11, Bouldin 2-9 0-0 6, Williams 1-6 1-2 5, Jarrells 2-5 1-2 7, Searcy 0-1 0-0 0. Totals-16-51 2-4 41.
UNC Greensboro (13-4. 2-0)
Twitty 5-11 4-4 14, Boyd 5-10 2-4 12, Pitchford 2-7 0-0 4, Crudup 3-5 0-0 6, Soliman 1-7 6-6 8, Powell 0-3 0-0 0, Willey 2-7 0-0 5, Redmond 0-1 0-0 0, Sorenson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals-18-51 12-14 49.
Halftime-UTC, 22-17. 3-point goals-UTC 7-19 (Bouldin 2-6, Dial 2-4, Burks 1-4, Jarrells 2-3, Cornelius 0-1, Williams 0-1); UNCG 1-10 (Willey 1-6, Soliman 0-3, Powell 0-1). Rebounds-UTC 29 (Dial, Williams 5 each); UNCG 38 (Boyd 11). Assists-UTC 6 (Dial, Jarrells 2 each); UNCG 7 (Crudup, Soliman 3 each). Turnovers-UTC 15 (Burks 5); UNCG 13 (Soliman 5). Blocks-UTC 5 (Dial 2); UNCG 8 (Soliman 4). Steals-UTC 5 (Burks 2); UNCG 8 (three with 2 each). Total fouls-UTC 16, UNCG 12. Fouled out-Williams.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.