GREENVILLE, S.C. – Gianna Corbitt scored 30 points and claimed 11 rebounds, and Chattanooga rode a strong start and stifling defense to defeat Furman, 62-54, Southern Conference women's basketball action Thursday evening at Timmons Arena.
 
The win was the 12^th straight for Chattanooga (16-5, 8-0 SoCon) and solidified the Mocs' first place hold in the league standings.  Furman (14-9, 6-2 SoCon), which entered the contest with a chance to claim a share of first place, had its five-game winning streak snapped.
 
Corbitt's monster game came on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 conversions at the free throw line.  She also claimed four steals.
 
Corbitt, a 6-foot-1 sophomore forward, was joined in double figures by Caia Elizaldez, who tallied 13 points and 11 assists.
 
The Mocs connected on 22-of-47 shots from the field (.468), including 7-of-15 3-pointers (.500), which helped them overcome 29 turnovers in the contest that Furman converted into 24 steals.  UTC also posted a decisive 41-24 rebounding advantage.
 
Furman was paced by Clare Coyle's 17 points, and Alyssa Ervin contributed 15.
 
Chattanooga controlled the game from wire-to-wire, grabbing a 14-3 lead after one quarter with strong defense that limited Furman to just 1-for-12 shooting over the game's first 10 minutes.
 
The Mocs led 30-18 at intermission and maintained their double digit advantage in the third period, pushing their lead to 50-32 on a Corbitt 3-pointer with five seconds remaining in the frame.
 
Furman hit on just 7-of-28 shots in the first half and finished at .328 percent for the game (19x58), going just 3-of-15 from 3-point range.
 
The Paladins play host to East Tennessee State on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.