CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Jan. 20, 2024) – The matchup between the last two undefeated SoCon teams in league play did not disappoint on Saturday as the ETSU women's basketball team erased a 15-point second half deficit to tie the game in the final minutes. However, Chattanooga made a pair of free throws with 1.3 seconds left to preserve a 52-50 win. With Saturday's loss, the Buccaneers move to 13-5 overall and 2-1 in league action.
 
Nevaeh Brown led the way for the Bucs on the scoresheet on Saturday with 13 points to go with four rebounds. Kendall Folley added 10 points in her return to action, while Jahkyia Davis was not far behind with nine points as well.
 
The Bucs got off to a good start on Saturday. ETSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead thanks to makes from Brown and Davis. Chattanooga, which entered the game as the SoCon's top 3-point shooting team, used a trio of 3-pointers to prevent ETSU from adding onto its lead. The Buccaneers still led for nearly eight minutes in the opening quarter, and they reeled off an 8-0 run in the frame. However, an 8-0 run by the Mocs gave the home team a 16-14 lead after 10 minutes of play.
 
There was not a ton of separation between ETSU and Chattanooga in the second quarter. Folley accounted for most of the Buccaneer offense in the second scoring six of ETSU's nine points. Chattanooga knocked down a couple more threes and extended its lead to five, 28-23, heading into halftime.
 
Chattanooga began to separate itself from ETSU in the third. The Mocs saw their lead grow to a game-high 15 points with 3:10 to go in the third quarter, 45-30. ETSU kept battling though and scored six straight points to close out the third quarter and get the deficit back to single digits (nine points) heading to the fourth quarter, 45-36.


ETSU kept chipping away and was able to continue its comeback attempt thanks in part to its defense. The Mocs did not score another point until 4:34 left in the fourth. Adding this stretch to the one that closed the third quarter, ETSU held Chattanooga off the scoreboard for nearly nine minutes (8:46).
 
The Bucs finally tied the score at 50-50 with 1:16 thanks to a made jumper from Brown. Both teams had opportunities to pull in front in the final 76 seconds. Chattanooga got the ball back with four seconds to go. A shooting foul with 1.3 second to go gave the Mocs a chance to regain the lead. Jada Guinn made both attempts to finish off a 10-for-10 day from the free throw line for Chattanooga and gave her team the 52-50 win.
 
ETSU will continue its three-game road swing on Thursday when it visits Western Carolina. Tip-off between the Bucs and Catamounts is set for 7 p.m.
 
For more information on Buccaneer women's basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's basketball tab.