Northern Kentucky erased an 11-point halftime deficit and briefly regained the lead in the fourth quarter, but Chattanooga closed the game on a decisive late run to secure a 75-67 victory Wednesday at Truist Arena.
The loss dropped the Norse to 2-2 on the season.
Both teams came out firing from beyond the arc in the opening quarter. Noelle Hubert accounted for Northern Kentucky’s first nine points, knocking down three consecutive 3-pointers, while Chattanooga countered with early triples from Gabbie Grooms and Izzy McPherson to keep pace.
After the game was tied 9-9 midway through the quarter, the Mocs gained momentum and built a six-point advantage. Hubert’s fourth three-pointer of the period cut the deficit to 19-17, but Chattanooga closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 25-17 lead after one. The Mocs shot 62.5% from the field in the opening frame, connecting on 10 of 16 attempts.
Northern Kentucky responded in the second quarter, opening on a 6-0 run fueled by baskets from Alma Raselbach, Dzenifera Rieksta and Gaia Castelli to trim the deficit to two. However, Chattanooga’s defense limited the Norse offensively over the final minutes of the half, and the Mocs closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to carry a 39-28 lead into the locker room.
The Norse mounted their comeback in the third quarter.
After Chattanooga pushed its lead back to 11 early in the period, Northern Kentucky responded with a 9-2 run behind 3-pointers from Hubert and Castelli and a layup by Kennedy Younkin. The surge evened the score at 43-43 with 4:32 remaining in the quarter and energized the home crowd.
Chattanooga answered immediately. Evie Bruce halted the run with a layup, helping the Mocs regain control and take a 51-47 lead into the final quarter despite being held to just 12 points in the period.
Northern Kentucky completed its rally early in the fourth quarter. Raselbach scored inside before Maya Layton connected from beyond the arc, giving the Norse their first lead since the opening minutes at 52-51.
The advantage was short-lived.
Bruce responded with a 3-pointer on Chattanooga’s next possession, sparking a game-changing run. The Mocs later used an 8-0 stretch to extend their lead to 64-55 with less than five minutes remaining and successfully protected the margin at the free-throw line down the stretch. Chattanooga converted eight of its final nine free-throw attempts, including seven in the final minute, to seal the victory.
The Mocs finished the night shooting 54.7% (29-for-53) from the floor, 38.5% (5-for-13) from 3-point range and 75% (12-for-16) from the free-throw line. Chattanooga also controlled the paint, outscoring Northern Kentucky 42-24 inside while holding a 38-30 rebounding advantage.
Northern Kentucky shot 39.7% (23-for-58) from the field and 36.7% (11-for-30) from beyond the arc while converting 10 of 19 free-throw attempts.
Chattanooga placed four players in double figures, led by McPherson’s 14 points. TaTianna Stoval added 13 points, Bruce scored 11 points off the bench and Grooms finished with 10.
Hubert led the Norse with a career-high 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including a 6-for-8 performance from 3-point range. The sophomore established career highs in points and field goals made while matching her career best for made 3-pointers.
Anna Hamilton also recorded a career-high 13 points, shooting 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Castelli contributed 11 points and eight assists.
Northern Kentucky will look to bounce back Tuesday when it travels to Richmond to face Eastern Kentucky. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
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