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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In a hard-fought, back-and-forth game, the Samford women's basketball team dropped a 71-65 decision to Chattanooga in the team's final regular-season game Saturday afternoon in the Pete Hanna Center.
 
Samford ends regular season with a record of 14-15 overall and 6-8 in Southern Conference play. Chattanooga improves to 17-11 overall and 8-6 in league games. Samford has earned the No. 5 seed for next week's SoCon Tournament, and the Bulldogs will take on No. 4-seeded Furman Thursday at 12:15 p.m. (CT) at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, N.C.



 
Prior to the game, Samford's lone senior, Hannah Nichols was honored. Nichols ranks in the top five in school history in points, rebounds, blocked shots, three-pointers made, three-pointers attempted, field goals made and field goals attempted.
 
In Saturday's game, Samford was led in scoring by Olivia Crozier with 15 points. Charity Brown had 14 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Nichols contributed 13 points and six rebounds.
 
For Chattanooga, Aryanna Gilbert led the way with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. Brooke Burns and Lakelyn Bouldin added 12 points each for the Mocs.
 
After an opening three-pointer by Chattanooga's Mya Long, Samford went on a 17-0 run to take a 17-3 lead with 3:32 left in the first quarter following a three-pointer by Brown. Chattanooga, however, answered by scoring the final 11 points of the first quarter to cut Samford's lead to 17-14 at the end of the first period.
 
Chattanooga cut the lead to 17-16 with an early second-quarter basket to extend its run to 13-0. Samford scored the next five points to push its lead back out to six points at 22-16 with 7:32 left in the second quarter after a layup by Shauntai Battle. Chattanooga scored the next seven points to take a 23-22 lead with 5:08 left in the second quarter. The lead went back and forth for the remainder of the second quarter and Samford held a 35-32 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.
 
Samford extended its lead to 38-32 with an early third-quarter three-pointer by Brown. Chattanooga went on a 10-2 run to take a 42-40 lead with 6:35 left in the third quarter. Samford scored the next eight points to take a 48-42 lead with 4:07 to play on the period after a layup by Natalie Armstrong. Chattanooga scored six of the final nine point of the period and Samford led, 51-48 at the end of the third quarter.
 
The lead continued to go back and forth in the fourth quarter. With Chattanooga leading, 58-57, Samford went on an 8-2 run to take a 65-60 lead with 3:30 to go in the game following a jumper by Crozier. Chattanooga, however, scored the final 11 points of the game to pull out the 71-65 win.
 
Both teams were hot from outside, with Samford making 52.4 percent of its three-pointers (11-of-21), while Chattanooga made 50.0 percent of its shots from beyond the arc (11-of-22). The game was tied seven time and there were 12 lead changes in the contest.