Sluggish start turns to blowout
Clay Chavis
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Sports
The 2009 version of the UTC Lady Mocs got off to a slow start, but were too much for Lee University Thursday night, winning 86-53 at McKenzie Arena.
Although this game was an exhibition and will not count toward the final standings, Head Coach Wes Moore gave plenty of playing time to all of his starters.
UTC dominated the glass and scored at will after giving up the first nine points. UTC shot 36 percent from the floor in the first half, and 1-11 from the three point line, but scorched the net in the second half, finishing at 46 percent for the game.
Even though the Lady Mocs started to shoot well, it was their defense that was mostly responsible for the end result.
UTC choked what little momentum Lee University could muster with rebounding and forced turnovers. The Lady Flames were held in check and turned the ball over 22 times. The Lady Mocs ended the game with 14 steals.
UTC also held a significant advantage on the glass by collecting 46 rebounds versus Lee's 32. Chattanooga consistently held the Lady Flames to one opportunity on the offensive end.
The force behind such dominance in the paint was returning Southern Confernce MVP Shanara Hollinquest, a senior from Sylacauga, Ala., who reached up for nine rebounds.
Hollinquest also was the second leading scorer with 13 points. In addition to last year's hardware, Hollinquest was also voted to the preseason All-Southern Conference team, and was named the preseason MVP.
The big story was redshirt freshman Michelle Davis, from Cleveland, Tenn.
The transfer from North Carolina State was worth the hype in her initial foray. Davis scored 19 points and had seven rebounds.
Megan Rollins, a senior from Monteagle, Tenn., came up big in the first half with the first five points for the Lady Mocs. She finished the game with nine points to go along with four steals.
Tenisha Townsend, a sophomore from Antioch, Tenn., held her own in her initial start by leading the team with four assists, to go along with her eight points.
The Lady Mocs start the regular season Friday at East Tennessee State University. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
The Lady Mocs' first home game is Nov. 19 against Southeastern Conference foe Georgia.
Although this game was an exhibition and will not count toward the final standings, Head Coach Wes Moore gave plenty of playing time to all of his starters.
UTC dominated the glass and scored at will after giving up the first nine points. UTC shot 36 percent from the floor in the first half, and 1-11 from the three point line, but scorched the net in the second half, finishing at 46 percent for the game.
Even though the Lady Mocs started to shoot well, it was their defense that was mostly responsible for the end result.
UTC choked what little momentum Lee University could muster with rebounding and forced turnovers. The Lady Flames were held in check and turned the ball over 22 times. The Lady Mocs ended the game with 14 steals.
UTC also held a significant advantage on the glass by collecting 46 rebounds versus Lee's 32. Chattanooga consistently held the Lady Flames to one opportunity on the offensive end.
The force behind such dominance in the paint was returning Southern Confernce MVP Shanara Hollinquest, a senior from Sylacauga, Ala., who reached up for nine rebounds.
Hollinquest also was the second leading scorer with 13 points. In addition to last year's hardware, Hollinquest was also voted to the preseason All-Southern Conference team, and was named the preseason MVP.
The big story was redshirt freshman Michelle Davis, from Cleveland, Tenn.
The transfer from North Carolina State was worth the hype in her initial foray. Davis scored 19 points and had seven rebounds.
Megan Rollins, a senior from Monteagle, Tenn., came up big in the first half with the first five points for the Lady Mocs. She finished the game with nine points to go along with four steals.
Tenisha Townsend, a sophomore from Antioch, Tenn., held her own in her initial start by leading the team with four assists, to go along with her eight points.
The Lady Mocs start the regular season Friday at East Tennessee State University. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
The Lady Mocs' first home game is Nov. 19 against Southeastern Conference foe Georgia.
