Cullowhee, N.C. – Ally Hollifield paced a trio of Catamounts in double-figures, leading a pair of comeback attempts for Western Carolina, including a furious second-half rally against the league-leading Chattanooga Mocs. Ultimately, though, Chattanooga's tremendous start and halftime edge proved to be insurmountable as the Catamounts fell 61-52 in Southern Conference action on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.
Hollifield returned to double figures against Chattanooga, snapping a three-game, double-digit absence with a 15-point performance. Grace Pack scored 12 and Taj Hunter chipped in 11 points to also post double-figure scoring. For the second consecutive game, Betsey Burnett and Hollifield were tied for the team lead on the glass, picking up six rebounds each.
SoCon Preseason Player of the Year Caia Elisaldez lived up to the lofty billing against the Catamounts as the junior guard posted a game-high 22 points, with five assists and four rebounds. Izzy McPherson notched 13 points, while Gianna Corbitt went for a game-high 11 rebounds.
WCU (3-17, SoCon 0-6) is idle in the midweek before making the trip to Greensboro to battle the UNCG Spartans on Feb. 1, with a 2 p.m. tip. Chattanooga (13-5, SoCon 5-0) is scheduled to battle the Mercer Bears on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m.
How it Happened:
Chattanooga started Saturday's game on time, racing out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before Taj Hunter notched WCU's first points with 7:04 remaining in the opening frame. Chattanooga answered with a 3-pointer from Gianna Corbitt before the Catamount offense came to life with back-to-back longballs from Betsey Burnett and Ally Hollifield. The latter then capitalized on an and-one opportunity to trim the deficit to single digits, but Chattanooga closed the quarter with a tip-in layup to take a 23-12 lead into the second quarter.
Five consecutive points by the Catamounts cut the Moc lead to six early in the second, but Chattanooga rolled off nine unanswered to stretch the margin back to 15. The Catamounts scored the final four points of the half to make it a 13-point game at halftime.
Despite making just two field goals from the floor in the third quarter, WCU outscored the Mocs to open the second half, responding to a 6-0 start to the frame by the road team. Pack and Hollifield scored four points apiece, with Ary Dizon contributing a pair, as the Catamounts just managed to outpace UTC 10-9 in the third, cutting into the deficit heading into the fourth quarter.
Two separate four-point scoring spurts in the fourth quarter allowed the Catamounts to cut the Chattanooga lead to as few as five points with 3:34 to go following a Pack 3-pointer. The Mocs, though, thwarted any further rally, responding with an 8-0 run, with five points coming from the free throw line, to build back to a 13-point lead before WCU scored five of the final six points in the 61-52 loss.
By the Numbers:
Currently the leaders in the SoCon standings, the Chattanooga Mocs had been rolling through conference competition before coming to Cullowhee. The nine-point margin of victory for the Mocs is the closest of the conference slate for UTC, while the 52 points WCU scored are the most allowed to a conference opponent for the defensively-sound Mocs to date.
The Catamounts have lost the rebounding battle in four of their six SoCon games this season, with the 45-26 differential marking the fourth largest of the season. However, WCU played a relatively clean game in terms of turnovers, with the 13 against Chattanooga ranking as the fourth-fewest of the season.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU has the midweek away from competition before hitting the road to take on the UNCG Spartans on Feb. 1 for a 2 p.m. tip. The Catamounts then begin to wrap their way around the SoCon as they take on the Samford Bulldogs on Feb. 5 in Birmingham, Ala., and the Mercer Bears on Feb. 7 in Macon. Ga.
