Box Score ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The eighth-seeded UNCG women's basketball team closed out the 2014-15 season Thursday afternoon as the Spartans dropped a 78-44 contest to top-seeded Chattanooga at Kimmel Arena in Asheville. The victory is the 23rd straight for the Mocs who advance to the SoCon Tournament semifinals Friday against the winner of Furman/Samford.
Junior guard Lucy Mason (Stone Mountain, Ga./Chamblee Charter) led the way with 15 points, 11 in the second half, while grabbing six rebounds. Freshman Keli Foster (Hampton, Va./Bethel) scored a career-high eight points off the bench as she was 2-of-4 from 3-point land.
Chattanooga (26-3) connected on 57.4 percent (31-of-54) from the field and hit 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from long range in the victory. Jasmine Joyner led the Mocs with a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds while Chelsey Shumpert chipped in 13 points. UNCG was limited to 28.8 percent (17-of-59) shooting from the field and hit 5-of-15 (33.3%) from long range.
Chattanooga opened the game by scoring the first 10 points of the contest as Joyner and Shumpert did all the scoring for the Mocs. The Spartans started to chip away at the deficit and posted a 6-2 run to pull within six at 15-9. Mason scored two baskets during the spurt along with a basket by senior Jarae Savage (Marietta, Ga./North Cobb).
The Spartans were down just seven after Shanese Harris (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) nailed a 3-pointer. The Mocs closed the first half on a 14-1 run to take a 33-13 lead into the locker room. The Spartans connected on just 18.5 percent (5-of-27) from the field in the opening half while Chattanooga hit 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from the field.
The Mocs opened the second half much the same as it closed the first on a run as Chattanooga began on a 25-6 start to take a 58-19 lead. Chattanooga was strong offensively in the second half hitting 61.3 percent (19-of-31) from the field in the final 20 minutes while also hitting 6-of-12 (50%) from distance.
Savage concluded her UNCG career with a team-high seven rebounds and three steals to go along with her four points off the bench. Harris added five points off the bench in 14 minutes of action for the Spartans.
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