SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Down by one entering the fourth quarter, the Wofford women's basketball team came together to outscore Chattanooga 16-12 in the final frame en route to a 57-54 victory Thursday night. Two late blocks by Evangelia Paulk as the Mocs put forth their tying shot attempts helped seal the win for the Terriers in the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. Wofford improves to 14-5 and 6-0 in the SoCon, and Chattanooga drops to 9-10 (4-2 SoCon).
 
The victory is historic for the Terriers as it is their eighth in a row, a new record for the program's Division I era. This is Wofford's 11^th-straight win the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, also a record for the program since the facility opened. Wofford completes the month of January an unblemished 8-0, the best record for any month in program history.
 
"I just think it's all the hard work, and all the girls on this team are so together," said Maddie Heiss of the record win streak. "We support one another so much, and I feel like the locker room is showing on the court. That's really cool to see."
 
Wofford shot better on the night at 37.5 percent (21-of-56) with a 32.0 percent clip from distance (8-of-25). Chattanooga posted a mark of 31.7 percent (20-of-63), but the Mocs struggled from beyond the arc at 15.6 percent (5-of-32). Chattanooga won the turnover battle 18-11 and accumulated 22 points off turnovers, but the Terriers held the advantage on the glass at 40-33. This is the ninth consecutive game in which Wofford has secured 40-plus rebounds.
 
"I'll give Chattanooga a ton of credit," said head coach Jimmy Garrity. "They're good. They're a lot bigger and longer in person. [It was] a gritty, tough win at home. It wasn't easy, but our defense down the stretch was pretty good, and then we made enough plays at the end. Evangelia's blocks on their three-point attempts in the last 24 seconds was phenomenal."
 
Three Terriers scored in double figures with Evangelia Paulk leading the way at 15 points. She just missed a double-double with nine rebounds to lead the team. The sophomore added in three steals, four assists, and two blocks. Maddie Heiss netted 12 points with three assists and four boards. Helen Matthews posted 10 points with six rebounds and a steal.
 
Molly Masingale notched seven points and seven rebounds with three assists, and Queen Ikhiuwu had six points. Mia Flor posted six boards and a block.

The contest was a true back-and-forth battle that featured 13 lead changes and nine ties. No team led by more than six points at any point in the contest.
 
The defenses were stout out of the gates as the game opened with two minutes and 29 seconds of scoreless action. Chattanooga broke through first with a three at the 7:31 mark, but Maddie Heiss responded for the Terriers with a pair of foul shots. After the Mocs scored, Evangelia Paulk tied the game with a three of her own, and she then pushed Wofford in front with a layup. Six-straight Moc points flipped the script, but Helen Matthews buried a triple to bring the Terriers within one. Though Paulk scored late, the Mocs notched a bucket in the final 30 seconds to hold a 13-12 edge after a quarter.
 
Paulk opened the second with a steal and fast break bucket, but the Mocs notched back-to-back scores. A Queen Ikhiuwu score kicked off a 10-2 Wofford run that saw threes by Libby Privett and Paulk. But five-straight Chattanooga points pulled the score even once more. Wofford put forth a six-point run, but the Mocs responded with an eight-point swing of their own. The teams traded free throws in the final minute of the half, and Chattanooga clung to a 34-32 advantage at the break.
 
The squads traded baskets to open the second half, and Molly Masingale's three pushed the Terriers up by one. Maddie Heiss knocked down a pair at the stripe, and things went quiet from there. For a little over three minutes, both defenses were rock solid. Chattanooga ended the drought with free throws and a three to take the lead, but Ikhiuwu went inside to even the score at 41. With a minute left, Chattanooga converted one at the line to hold a 42-41 edge entering the final quarter.
 
Needing to push back, Heiss got Wofford back in front with a three just 12 seconds into the fourth. A Moc layup was nixed by Heiss going inside, but the Mocs scored back-to-back buckets. Heiss continued her run with another big three at the 4:46 mark to push Wofford in front 49-48. This sparked the Terriers, who followed with a Paulk layup and a Matthews trey for a 54-48 advantage with 3:35 on the clock. A 6-1 Chattanooga run ensued, however, pulling the Mocs within 55-54 with 1:01 to go. Matthews delivered some much-needed breathing room with 31 seconds left by way of a layup. Leading 57-54, the Terrier defense needed a stop to hold on. Chattanooga's three missed, and a subsequent foul sent Wofford to line. Two untimely misses would give the Mocs another chance, but Evangelia Paulk had ice in her veins with a big block on the three-point attempt. A jump ball kept possession with the Mocs, but Paulk delivered once more with another emphatic denial in the closing seconds to seal the 57-54 triumph for the Terriers.
 
"I knew my team had my back," said Paulk of her clutch defense. "We knew a three was coming, so that helped. Just knowing the scout – we did that in our practice, so applying it to the game was a big thing."
 
Wofford will remain home on Saturday, February 1, to host ETSU at 2:00 p.m. in the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The contest serves as the annual Play4Kay Pink Game.