SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For a moment, it looked as if the Terriers were going to catch lightning in a bottle for the second time in three days.
 
Chattanooga scored 18 consecutive points to take a commanding 15-point lead with 4:25 to play against the two-time defending Southern Conference Tournament champions. But Wofford rallied, scoring 10 unanswered points over a span of less than two minutes to get back within five. Freshman Fletcher Magee's fifth 3-pointer of the night capped the run, making it 70-65 with still 1:18 to go.
 
Wofford called timeout and came out in a press. It worked, forcing a turnover in the backcourt and giving the Terriers the ball with a chance to get within a single possession. Senior Spencer Collins took the shot, leaping for a 3-pointer from the left wing from nearly the same spot he buried one that gave Wofford its 69-64 win on Saturday against Samford.
 
The magic ran out. Collins' shot rimmed off and the Terriers were forced to foul. Chattanooga (14-3, 3-1 SoCon) went on to make 7-of-8 at the line in the final minute and handed Wofford (6-10, 3-1 SoCon) its first Southern Conference defeat Monday night at Benjamin Johnson Arena.
 
"It was certainly a game we could have won, but we had to play better than we did down the stretch," said Wofford head coach Mike Young. "There's a long way to go. They don't hand out any awards on January 11th. We were outplayed, but we're getting better. We're coming on and took another step tonight."
 
The loss snapped Wofford's three-game winning streak, as well as its streak of eight straight Southern Conference wins dating back to last season. Wofford's last league loss prior to Monday night was also against the Mocs, who defeated the Terriers last February 12 at the BenJo, 56-46. Chattanooga has now won the last three series meetings in Spartanburg.
 
Collins led all scorers with 21 points – his third 20-point game in his last four outings. The Easley, S.C., native shot 8-of-16 from the floor and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc, also tallying a career-high eight assists. Magee also shot 5-of-10 from three and scored 18 points. Redshirt junior Ryan Sawvell, playing in his first season as a Terrier, was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field with season-highs of 10 points and seven boards.
 
Junior Tre' McLean scored 16 points and had a game-high eight rebounds to lead five Mocs in double figures. Junior Greg Pryor and 6-foot-10, 235-pound junior Justin Tuoyo racked up 14 apiece, as the Mocs outscored Wofford 40-24 in the paint and 24-5 off turnovers. Chattanooga also outdueled Wofford 34-30 on the glass, including 19-11 in the second half.
 
"It wasn't just [their big men]. They had some guards pecking away and coming down with rebounds," added Young. "We've got to come out of there with the ball. They were quicker to the ball than we were."
 
Chattanooga scored the first four points of the night, but the first half belonged to the Terriers. Wofford responded by scoring 11 straight, capped by a Justin Gordon dunk, to lead by seven just over six minutes in.
 
The Terriers did not surrender the lead the rest of the half, but Chattanooga always remained within striking distance. Wofford's lead was no more than five points through the final 8:45. Junior point guard Eric Garcia hit a 3-ball as the first-half horn sounded to send Wofford into the locker rooms ahead 34-30.
 
"I thought we were in great shape," said Young when asked about his team's situation at halftime. "I was disappointed we weren't up more. We left some things out there."
 
The Terriers were outrebounding Chattanooga 19-15 at the break and held the Mocs scoreless on seven attempts from beyond the arc. Sawvell already had eight of his 10 points and five of his seven rebounds.
 
Wofford built its lead to as many as eight points with a Collins 3-pointer, 42-34, just minutes into the second half. Chatt responded with the next eight to tie things up and the two teams voted preseason No. 1 and No. 2 by the Southern Conference coaches went back and forth over the next several minutes. A Magee triple put Wofford in front 53-50 with 10:00 to go.
 
UTC scored on its next eight possessions to put together the 18-0 run. The Mocs shot 8-of-11 from the floor with three offensive rebounds over a span of 5:35. The Terriers were held to 0-of-5 from the floor and turned it over twice, resulting in a 70-55 Chattanooga lead with less than 5 minutes remaining.
 
The Terriers hit the road for their next two games, both in league play. Wofford heads to Charleston first to take on The Citadel on Thursday at 6 p.m. Then, the Terriers head straight to Macon, Ga., to take on Mercer Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
 
Terrier Notes:
- Spencer Collins moved into a tie for 14th with Stephon Blanding (1986-90) on Wofford's all-time scoring list. Collins now has 1,454 career points.
- With 21 points, Collins marked his 85th career double-figure scoring game and 13th career 20-point outing.
- Collins had a career-high eight assists, the most by a Terrier since Feb. 8, 2014 when Karl Cochran had the same amount against The Citadel.
- Ryan Sawvell tied his Terrier-high of 10 points and surpassed his season-high with seven rebounds.
- Wofford suffered its first home loss when leading at halftime since March 1, 2014 against UNCG. The Terriers had won their previous 13 at home when leading at the intermission.
- Chattanooga took a 20-13 lead in the all-time series. The Mocs have won the last three matchups at Benjamin Johnson Arena.