NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. -- There's no disputing Chattanooga's Southern Conference title this year.

At the end of the Lady Mocs 64-63 victory over North Carolina Greensboro last year, replays appeared to show Damita Bullock out of bounds before shuffling the ball to Nneka Irons for the game-winning 3-pointer.

On Sunday, Chattanooga made sure it showed who was the league's best, closing the game with a 15-6 run to defeat the Spartans in the championship game for the second straight year, 77-69.

"I know I stepped out of bounds" last year, Bullock said. "Sometimes that happens, they can't call everything."

Miranda Warfield scored 20 points, 16 in the second half, as Chattanooga moved to 7-0 all time in Southern Conference finals.

It will be the Lady Mocs fourth trip to the NCAA tournament. They are 0-3, including a 51-49 loss to Clemson a season ago.

"I think this time, since we went through the NCAA experience, we'll be more prepared for what we can do," said Jennifer Wilson, who scored 12 points for the Lady Mocs.

North Carolina Greensboro (21-9) has lost the last three Southern Conference finals -- to Furman in 2000 and to the Lady Mocs the past two seasons. The Spartans looked ready to end that streak with a 15-2 second half as they turned a 10-point deficit into a 59-56 lead with 5:38 left.

But the Lady Mocs showed why they're the best closers in the SoCon.

Warfield, voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, hit a 3-pointer to tie things, then added her third long-range shot as Chattanooga took the lead for good, 65-63.

Brianne Dodgen's basket brought the Spartans within 67-65. Then Chattanooga reserve Tiffany Patton hit two buckets and Heather McDivitt made six foul shots to close out the Lady Mocs eighth victory in the last nine games with North Carolina Greensboro.

"We always try and tell ourselves to stay together as a team," said Bullock, who had 12 points. "If we make a couple of turnovers or fouls, we know we have to come together for the win."

Chattanooga players leaped around the North Charleston Coliseum when the game ended, quickly putting on Southern Conference champion t-shirts.

North Carolina Greensboro sat silently on the bench during the awards ceremony. For the third straight year, the team was second best.

"In each game, we gave it all we had," Dodgen said. "It is a little frustrating," she said, her words turning into sobs.

Jennifer Wilson also had 12 points each for Chattanooga. McDivitt added 11, going 9-of-10 from the foul line.

Jacinda Lambert led the Spartans with 15 points and Dodgen had 14.

Spartans coach Lynne Agee has been through a horrible season off the court. Her father, Jake, died the day after practice began in October. Agee's mother, Ruby, passed away last month.

"I can tell you that there's more to life than playing 40 minutes and losing a championship game year after year after year," said Agee, voted the conference coach of the year.