Feb. 10, 2001

Box Score

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - UTC coach Wes Moore shook up his starting lineup and the Lady Mocs responded with an 83-61 victory over Western Carolina Saturday afternoon at The McKenzie Arena.

Western Carolina jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but the Lady Mocs took the lead four minutes later and never trailed again. Chattanooga held a 41-23 halftime lead and its biggest lead was 29 points twice, the last at 58-29 with 14:21 to play.

Chattanooga forced 32 turnovers (the most by a UTC opponent this season) and the Lady Mocs picked up a season-best 24 steals. Warfield tied a career high with four thefts and Natalie Carmichael tied a career high with three. Eleven of the 12 Lady Mocs had at least one steal and 11 of 12 scored.

The win pushed UTC's record to 18-5 overall and 12-2 in the Southern Conference, keeping the heat on first-place UNC Greensboro, which played a late game at Wofford. Western Carolina falls to 10-13 and 4-10. Western Carolina will be on the road again Monday, February 12 at Georgia Southern for a 7:00 p.m. start.

WCU's Laura Echols, the SoCon's leading scorer at 17.5 ppg, was held scoreless until there was 15:52 left in the game and UTC held that commanding lead. She finished with 14 points as the only Catamount in double figures. April Fleck scored nine points. WCU shot 55.6 percent from the field, but it attempted 25 fewer field goals.

Damita Bullock did not start for the first time in her UTC career, and she scored 20 points, which was the most against a Southern Conference opponent this season. Miranda Warfield got the first start of her career and scored 16 points. Katarika Banks also got a starting nod for the first time in 59 games, and she scored a season-best nine points and grabbed a career-high seven steals.