Feb. 9, 2006

Final Stats

Chattanooga, Tenn. - Opening the game on a 12-0 run, the Chattanooga Lady Mocs used a career-night from beyond the arc by sophomore Laura Hall, handing Western Carolina an 86-61 loss Thursday night in front of 2,027 fans at the McKenzie Arena. The loss was Western's seventh-straight to the Lady Mocs since 2003 when Western defeated Chattanooga on the road, which was the last conference game dropped by UTC at home.

Hall connected on a career-high six, 3-pointers to lead Chattanooga, who hit 12 treys in the game, with a game-high 20 points. She was joined in double-figures by classmate Brooke Hand with 11, including three, 3-pointers, and 10 from senior Nicole Mattison. Western limited defending SoCon Player of the Week, senior Katasha Brown, to seven points on the night, seven below her seasonal average.

With the win, UTC, which entered the ballgame already having won at least a share of its seventh-consecutive Southern Conference regular season crown, claimed its fourth-straight outright title. The Lady Mocs moved above 20-wins for the seventh-consecutive year. Also, with top-ranked North Carolina falling in overtime at No. 6 Maryland, the Lady Mocs now own the nation's longest winning streak, 19-straight games.

"It's hard to play against Chattanooga when their shooters get happy, and Laura Hall tonight was very happy shooting the ball," said WCU head coach Kellie Harper. "Hall generally looks to pass first, shoot second, but tonight, after she had made a few, she started looking for her shot. And that makes things even more difficult because of all of the weapons Chattanooga possesses."

Western (5-18, 5-9 SoCon) was led by 12 points from sophomore Chevon Keith, six of which came from the perfect performance from the free throw line. Her frontcourt classmate, Monique Dawson, added 10 points in the loss. Freshman Lauren Powell hit 50-percent from long-range and finished with nine points, with her classmate Amelia Miller tying her career-high with nine. Also procuring a career-best was freshman Kendra Eaton, who pulled down a career-best 10 rebounds.

After falling behind by 12 early, Western rallied to cut the deficit to eight, 20-12 with eight minutes remaining before intermission. UTC pushed back out in front by as many as 15 before the break, but the Lady Catamounts hung on, cutting the lead back to nine on a pair of Keith free throws. Yet Hall connected from downtown just inside of 40 seconds to play to push the lead to 12, 35-23, at halftime.

In the second half, Chattanooga slowly pulled ahead, hitting nine-of-13 from beyond the 3-point arc to take its largest lead of the night of 29, 68-39. The Lady Cats would close to within 20 on Powell's lone trifecta of the night, but it was as close as they would get, falling 86-61.

Western Carolina returns to action next Monday, February 13 as it visits Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm from Hanner Fieldhouse.