GREENSBORO, N.C.- The UNCG women's basketball team (8-17, 0-10 SoCon) trailed Chattanooga (17-7, 8-2 SoCon) by just two points at halftime inside Fleming Gymnasium Thursday night. The Mocs used a 24-13 third quarter to break away from the Spartans close grasp to win 74-53 and sweep UNCG in the regular season series. Lucy Mason (Stone Mountain, Ga.,/Chamblee Charter) led the Spartans with 19 points, six rebounds, and a career-high three blocks while Jasmine Joyner paced UTC with a game-high 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Chattanooga took an early 6-0 lead but UNCG quickly bounced back to bring the score to 8-4 at the first media timeout. UNCG kept pace with UTC and trailed 17-10 at the end of the first quarter. The Spartans came out hot in the second quarter outscoring Chattanooga 20-15 closing the deficit to two, 32-30, at halftime.

UNCG shot 37.9 percent in the first half as Mason led all scorers with nine points. The Mocs shot 45.2 percent while both Joyner and Queen Alford each had eight points. The Spartans won the battle on the boards slighting out-rebounding Chattanooga 18-17 but the Mocs capitalized on eight UNCG turnovers in which they scored 14 points off of.

Chattanooga pulled ahead 39-32 in the first three minutes of the second half forcing head coach Wendy Palmer to call timeout and refocus her squad. But the Mocs went on a 9-3 run after the break taking a 13-point lead with 5:29 to go in the third quarter. UNCG closed the gap to five, 48-43, when Mason made a steal on the baseline and ran away with it for a fast break layup at 2:45. Chattanooga closed the quarter on a 8-0 run to lead 56-43 heading into the fourth and final frame. The Mocs never looked back in the last quarter outscoring UNCG 18-10. They led by as many as 22 with 3:44 to play and held on for the 21-point win.

The Spartans shot just 25.7 percent in the second half while Mason led with 10 points. Jade Scaife (Fort Washington, Md./Archbishop Spalding) had eight points and four rebounds putting her just one rebound shy of her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and nine boards in the game. Chattanooga improved to shoot 53.6 percent in the second half and 37.5 percent from three-point range.

Joining Mason in double figures was Scaife and Bailey Williams (Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood). Williams scored 10 points and pulled down five rebounds while dishing out two assists.

Chattanooga leads the all-time series 39-6 and has won the last 22 meetings between the two teams. UNCG returns to action Saturday, February 13, when the Spartans host ETSU at 2 p.m.

-UNCG-