espnW Women's Basketball

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Tiffani Roberson scored 15 points and Katie Galloway had 14, including two key 3-pointers, and Chattanooga upset Rutgers 74-69 Saturday in the first round of the Midwest Regional.

The 10th-seeded Lady Mocs (29-2) rallied in the second half to win their first NCAA tournament game and extend the nation's longest current winning streak to 27 games on their home court.

They play No. 2 seed Vanderbilt in the second round Monday.

Rutgers (21-12), the No. 7 seed, led most of the first half but got in trouble when leading scorer Cappie Pondexter picked up her fourth foul 10 seconds into the second half.

Then Chelsea Newton, who was the Scarlet Knights' hottest shooter, hurt her left pinkie and had to leave temporarily. Rutgers was already depleted because of injuries.

Pondexter was held to nine points, half her average, and played eight minutes of the second half. Chattanooga had a huge advantage by making 27 of 38 free throws while Rutgers was only 5-of-7.

Katasha Brown added 13 points while Miranda Warfield had 11 and Mattison 10 for Chattanooga. Newton led the Scarlet Knights with 16 points, and Nikki Jett scored 15 and Shalicia Hurns had 14.

Chattanooga, making its fourth straight NCAA appearance as the Southern Conference tournament champion, trailed by six at halftime, and Nicole Mattison opened the second half with a three-point play. That started a 7-2 run to cut it to a point.

Rutgers went ahead by five, but Galloway cut it to 43-41 with 16:28 remaining. The guard lost the ball, ran after it and picked it up before it reached halfcourt while the shot clock was winding down. She threw up a desperation 30-footer at the buzzer, and it banked in off the glass.

Brown tied it with a layup. Chattanooga took the lead for good when Roberson hit two free throws with 12:37 left. Rutgers didn't let the deficit exceed six points the rest of the way.

The Scarlet Knights cut it to a point three times afterward, the last on Hurns' basket with 2:35 to go. Galloway then hit her second 3 of the game to put it out of reach.