.svg){kind=small}
No. 1 UNCG, No. 2 Chattanooga Advance to SoCon Championship
No. 1 UNC Greensboro 54, No. 4 Wofford 50
ASHEVILLE - Trailing by 10 early in the third quarter, top-seeded UNC Greensboro rallied for a 54-50 win over No. 4 Wofford in the semifinals of the Ingles Southern Conference Women's Basketball Championship Tournament at Harrah's Cherokee Center Friday afternoon.
The victory put the Spartans into the SoCon Championship game for the second straight year. UNCG will play the winner of the game between No. 2 Chattanooga and No. 6 Furman on Sunday at noon. Chattanooga defeated the Spartans in the title game last year.
Trailing 36-26 in the opening moments of the third quarter, the Spartans regained their composure and took the lead for good, 48-46, on a three-point basket by Makiah Asidanya with 7:07 remaining in the game.
They expanded that lead to 51-46 as Wofford went through a scoring drought of 7:31 that finally ended when Helen Matthews scored a basket with 1:39 remaining, making the score 51-48. Less than a minute later, Molly Masingale scored a layup after a UNCG turnover to pull Wofford within one, 51-50, with 44 seconds remaining.
The Terriers missed a chance at a rebound on UNCG's next possession and were forced to follow Asidanya with 13.3 seconds remaining. She made both free throws for a 53-50 lead. Masingale badly missed on a three-point attempt for Wofford, and Asidanya made one of two free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining to secure the win for UNC Greensboro. Guard Jayde Gamble led UNCG with 13 points, and Asidanya added 10. Helen Matthews and Masingale scored 13 and 12, respectively, for Wofford.
Poor shooting plagued UNCG in the opening two quarters. The Spartans shot just 9-of-33 (27.3 percent), including 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) from three-point range. Wofford was slightly better, 11-of-30 overall for 36.7 percent. Libby Privett came off the bench and scored three baskets, two on three-pointers, as the Terriers rallied from a 15-14 deficit to take a 31-26 lead by halftime. That lead grew to 10 at 36-26 after Wofford scored the first five points in the second half. The Spartans rallied, though, and pulled within 41-40 on a driving layup by Nya Smith. But a three-pointer by Masingale helped Wofford to a 44-41 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Records: UNCG 24-6, Wofford 17- 12.
STATS TO KNOW
-Wofford didn't miss a free throw but was significantly outscored at the line as the Spartans attempted 22 and made 16. Wofford finished with just five.
- Khalis Cain grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for UNCG, which finished with a 44-33 advantage.
- The Spartans shot 31.5 percent, making 17-of-54 attempts. Wofford made 19-of-59 for 32.2 percent.
No. 2 Chattanooga 63, No. 6 Furman 55
ASHEVILLE - No. 2 seed Chattanooga is in position to win a third consecutive Ingles Southern Conference Women's Basketball Champion Tournament title following a 63-55 victory over No. 6 Furman in a semifinal game on Friday at Harrah's Cherokee Center. The Mocs will play top-seeded UNC Greensboro on Sunday at noon in a rematch of last year's final. Chattanooga will be attempting to win the Socon tournament for the 21st time. The Mocs have never lost in the championship game. In Friday's win over Furman, Chattanooga trailed once, after Furman scored the first basket. Furman tied the game three times after that before the Mocs took the lead for good, 32-29, on a three-pointer by Gianna Corbitt with 5:58 left in the third quarter.
The Paladins were just three behind at 36-33 when the Mocs ended the third period on an 8-1 run to take a 45-34 lead. Forward Karsen Murphy led the charge with a pair of three-pointers. Furman cut the deficit to 54-48 before Chattanooga scored the next four points for a 58-48 lead with 2:03 remaining. Murphy made 4-of-5 three-pointers and finished with 18 points while sophomore guard Caia Elisaldez added 16 to lead the Mocs. Tate Walters led Furman with 18 points. Elisaldez, the Mocs' leading scorer with a 14.2 average, had a big first half with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting along with three assists to lead her team to a 27-24 halftime lead. Chattanooga made 7-of-12 first-quarter field goal attempts that helped secure a 16-13 lead. Murphy's three-pointer gave the Mocs a 23-17 advantage before the Paladins came back and pulled within 23-22 on a basket by Jada Session with 2:22 left in the half. Murphy scored a two-pointer, which was matched by Furman's Tate Walters before Corbitt scored on a short jump shot with 23 seconds left to give the Mocs a 27-24 lead.
Records: Chattanooga 16-13, Furman 16-16
STATS TO KNOW
- After not attempting a free throw in the first half, Furman made 13-of-18 in the final 20 minutes. Chattanooga finished 13-of-23.
- Furman committed 11 of its 17 turnovers in the second half.
- Furman was just 2-of-19 on three-point attempts. Chattanooga made 6-of-15 threes.
ASHEVILLE - Trailing by 10 early in the third quarter, top-seeded UNC Greensboro rallied for a 54-50 win over No. 4 Wofford in the semifinals of the Ingles Southern Conference Women's Basketball Championship Tournament at Harrah's Cherokee Center Friday afternoon.
The victory put the Spartans into the SoCon Championship game for the second straight year. UNCG will play the winner of the game between No. 2 Chattanooga and No. 6 Furman on Sunday at noon. Chattanooga defeated the Spartans in the title game last year.
Trailing 36-26 in the opening moments of the third quarter, the Spartans regained their composure and took the lead for good, 48-46, on a three-point basket by Makiah Asidanya with 7:07 remaining in the game.
They expanded that lead to 51-46 as Wofford went through a scoring drought of 7:31 that finally ended when Helen Matthews scored a basket with 1:39 remaining, making the score 51-48. Less than a minute later, Molly Masingale scored a layup after a UNCG turnover to pull Wofford within one, 51-50, with 44 seconds remaining.
The Terriers missed a chance at a rebound on UNCG's next possession and were forced to follow Asidanya with 13.3 seconds remaining. She made both free throws for a 53-50 lead. Masingale badly missed on a three-point attempt for Wofford, and Asidanya made one of two free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining to secure the win for UNC Greensboro. Guard Jayde Gamble led UNCG with 13 points, and Asidanya added 10. Helen Matthews and Masingale scored 13 and 12, respectively, for Wofford.
Poor shooting plagued UNCG in the opening two quarters. The Spartans shot just 9-of-33 (27.3 percent), including 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) from three-point range. Wofford was slightly better, 11-of-30 overall for 36.7 percent. Libby Privett came off the bench and scored three baskets, two on three-pointers, as the Terriers rallied from a 15-14 deficit to take a 31-26 lead by halftime. That lead grew to 10 at 36-26 after Wofford scored the first five points in the second half. The Spartans rallied, though, and pulled within 41-40 on a driving layup by Nya Smith. But a three-pointer by Masingale helped Wofford to a 44-41 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Records: UNCG 24-6, Wofford 17- 12.
STATS TO KNOW
-Wofford didn't miss a free throw but was significantly outscored at the line as the Spartans attempted 22 and made 16. Wofford finished with just five.
- Khalis Cain grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for UNCG, which finished with a 44-33 advantage.
- The Spartans shot 31.5 percent, making 17-of-54 attempts. Wofford made 19-of-59 for 32.2 percent.
No. 2 Chattanooga 63, No. 6 Furman 55
ASHEVILLE - No. 2 seed Chattanooga is in position to win a third consecutive Ingles Southern Conference Women's Basketball Champion Tournament title following a 63-55 victory over No. 6 Furman in a semifinal game on Friday at Harrah's Cherokee Center. The Mocs will play top-seeded UNC Greensboro on Sunday at noon in a rematch of last year's final. Chattanooga will be attempting to win the Socon tournament for the 21st time. The Mocs have never lost in the championship game. In Friday's win over Furman, Chattanooga trailed once, after Furman scored the first basket. Furman tied the game three times after that before the Mocs took the lead for good, 32-29, on a three-pointer by Gianna Corbitt with 5:58 left in the third quarter.
The Paladins were just three behind at 36-33 when the Mocs ended the third period on an 8-1 run to take a 45-34 lead. Forward Karsen Murphy led the charge with a pair of three-pointers. Furman cut the deficit to 54-48 before Chattanooga scored the next four points for a 58-48 lead with 2:03 remaining. Murphy made 4-of-5 three-pointers and finished with 18 points while sophomore guard Caia Elisaldez added 16 to lead the Mocs. Tate Walters led Furman with 18 points. Elisaldez, the Mocs' leading scorer with a 14.2 average, had a big first half with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting along with three assists to lead her team to a 27-24 halftime lead. Chattanooga made 7-of-12 first-quarter field goal attempts that helped secure a 16-13 lead. Murphy's three-pointer gave the Mocs a 23-17 advantage before the Paladins came back and pulled within 23-22 on a basket by Jada Session with 2:22 left in the half. Murphy scored a two-pointer, which was matched by Furman's Tate Walters before Corbitt scored on a short jump shot with 23 seconds left to give the Mocs a 27-24 lead.
Records: Chattanooga 16-13, Furman 16-16
STATS TO KNOW
- After not attempting a free throw in the first half, Furman made 13-of-18 in the final 20 minutes. Chattanooga finished 13-of-23.
- Furman committed 11 of its 17 turnovers in the second half.
- Furman was just 2-of-19 on three-point attempts. Chattanooga made 6-of-15 threes.