CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Wofford women's basketball team put forth a strong fight in the second half against Chattanooga Thursday night, but its comeback attempt inside the McKenzie Arena fell just short as a 15-point Moc run in the second quarter proved too much in the end to overcome. Wofford falls with the loss to 12-8 (4-2 SoCon), and Chattanooga improves to 18-3 (6-0 SoCon).
 
Most aspects of the game were quite even, as Chattanooga shot a touch better, 35.8 percent overall and 27.3 percent from three. Wofford posted clips of 31 percent overall and 25.9 percent from distance. The Mocs also claimed a slight edge in the rebounding battle, 37-35. But Wofford won the turnover battle, forcing 12 while committing 11 with six steals to Chattanooga's four. Wofford also secured 15 points off turnovers to the eight of the Mocs.
 
Rachael Rose led the Terriers on the night with 21 points, her third consecutive 20-point outing, pushing her double-digit scoring streak to 39-straight games. Rose added nine rebounds to fall just short of a double-double. The second of those boards marked yet another milestone for the junior, as it was the 500^th rebound of her career. Rose added in four assists and a steal.
 
Evangelia Paulk joined her in double figures with 15 points. She secured a team-leading 11 rebounds, notching her fifth double-double of the campaign. This sets a new freshman program record, topping the four of Elizabeth Wells in the 1995-96 season. Paulk splashed a trio of three-pointers to match her career high while adding in two steals and an assist.
 
Annabelle Schultz added six points with four rebounds and a pair of steals. Sara Deidda notched three points, all coming off one long shot, while adding a rebound. Vitolia Tuilave, Indiya Clarke and Ja'Rae Smith each posted two points to round out the Wofford scoring. Clarke totaled seven rebounds with an assist, and Tuilave added a board and an assist.
 
Wofford came out of the gates hot, as Rachael Rose put home the game's first points, and Vitolia Tuilave stretched the initial lead to four shortly thereafter. A three-point play by Rose followed by another jumper later would have the Terriers up 12-3 at the 4:24 mark, but a Chattanooga three sparked some life for the Mocs. A nine-point run to end the quarter pushed the Mocs ahead by a point, 15-14, after the first 10 minutes of play.
 
A steal by Annabelle Schultz in the first 10 seconds of the second quarter led to a bucket on the other end to reclaim the lead for Wofford, and Rachael Rose then sank a pair of free throws before scoring again off an Evangelia Paulk steal. However, three-straight threes by the Mocs would flip the lead back in their favor, 24-22, before a Terrier three by Paulk reversed it once more. But the long ball again proved pivotal as Chattanooga hit from distance to reclaim the advantage at the 5:10 mark, and this began what turned into a 15-point Moc run to end the quarter. Wofford went into the halftime break down 39-25.
 
But the Terriers showed no quit, as Rose opened the second half with a jumper. Evangelia Paulk followed with her own, and Rose popped a three to bring the deficit back to single-digits, 39-32. The Mocs tacked on a three before Ja'Rae Smith scored inside, and Chattanooga then added a paint score of its own. The Terriers then closed the quarter with a pair of Rose free throws. Quarter three was all about defense, as Wofford tallied 11 points while holding Chattanooga to five, its lowest point total in a quarter all season. The Terriers entered the fourth down 44-36.
 
Showing continued grit, Sara Deidda kicked off the fourth right for Wofford with a three-ball, and a Moc score was responded to with a three by Evangelia Paulk. Another Moc two saw a Paulk three come after, and the Wofford deficit was just three at the 6:27 mark (48-45). Chattanooga then secured four-straight points before Annabelle Schultz connected from distance with 5:06 on the clock. Both defenses then clamped up with neither team scoring again until the 2:19 mark when Indiya Clarke scored off a swipe by Rachael Rose. The Terriers trailed by just two, 52-50. Again, the defenses stood tall with Wofford pulling within one at the 31 second mark with a Schultz foul shot. Wofford would put forth its best attempts to come back after a pair of Moc free throws on the other end, but the Terriers' last shots to tie in the closing 30 seconds were not able to connect. Chattanooga would score its late free throws to clinch the game, and Wofford's hard-fought efforts fell just shy, 57-51.
 
The Terriers continue their road swing on Saturday with a match-up at ETSU. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Freedom Hall as Wofford looks to bounce back in Johnson City.