RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Interstat) — In a back-and-forth contest decided at the free-throw line, the Chattanooga Lady Mocs edged the Sacramento State Hornets in a non-conference women’s basketball game Friday at the Riverside Sports Complex.

The game was a tale of two halves, with Sacramento State building an early lead only to see it evaporate after halftime as Chattanooga mounted a decisive comeback. The Lady Mocs outscored the Hornets 18 to 9 in the pivotal third quarter to seize control, then held on through a tense final minute for the victory.

Sacramento State started strong, taking a 17-14 lead after the first quarter and extending it to a 32-24 advantage by halftime. The Hornets’ offense, however, went cold in the third period, managing only nine points as Chattanooga’s defense tightened.

The Lady Mocs were led by a spectacular homecoming performance from guard Caia Elisaldez. The Whittier, California, native scored a game-high 21 points, including the decisive free throws in the game’s final seconds. Her clutch shooting from the line ultimately provided the winning margin.

Chattanooga’s frontcourt also delivered a key performance from Kalifa Ford, who added 18 points. Gianna Corbitt provided a vital spark off the bench, contributing 12 points to the Lady Mocs’ effort.

For Sacramento State, Rubi Gray led the way with 19 points, but her efforts were not enough to overcome the team’s second-half scoring drought. Natalie Picton, who played all 40 minutes, finished with 11 points. Keanna Salave’a also scored 11 points and was a force defensively, recording multiple blocks.

The Hornets had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final ten seconds, but a critical turnover by Benthe Versteeg with 13 seconds left on the clock gave possession back to Chattanooga. The Lady Mocs inbounded the ball to Elisaldez, who was fouled and sent to the line for three shots with the game on the line. She calmly sank the first two to give her team the final margin of victory.

With the win, Chattanooga evened its season record at 4-4. The Lady Mocs are scheduled to face UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. Sacramento State’s record fell to 5-3. The Hornets’ next game is on the road at Pacific on Dec. 4.

The game was part of a multi-team event at the neutral-site venue in Riverside. Announced attendance was 196.