The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga begins the second half of Southern Conference women’s basketball action this week on the road at Western Carolina and UNCG.
Chattanooga and Western Carolina began competition in 1979. UTC is 74-11 against the Catamounts all-time and 29-6 on the road. UTC has won the last 17 meetings between the two schools including earlier this year in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga is 13-8 overall and 4-3 in Southern Conference play. It is the first time UTC has had three losses in league play since the 2011-12 season when the Mocs went 16-4 and finished third.
UTC has a 1.4 scoring margin against its opponents and leads the SoCon in scoring defense, allowing foes just 56.4 points per game.
UTC is shooting 40.2 percent from the field and is second in 3-point field goal percentage making 35.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Aryanna Gilbert leads UTC in scoring with 13.5 points and rebounding with 6.2 boards per game. Keiana Gilbert is second on the team with 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Lakelyn Bouldin is third on the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game and leads the Mocs with 45 3-pointers.
Western Caorlina is 4-18 overall and 0-7 through the first half of league competition. They are shooting 39.8 percent from the floor and 30.2 percent from beyond the arc while leading the SoCon in 3-point shooting defense, allowing opponents just 26.1 percent from long range.
No Catamounts are scoring in double figures. Sherae Bonner leads the team with 9.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. She is second in the league in rebounding. Lauren LaPlant has 8.6 points per game and has 22 3-pointers. Tess Harris leads the team in 3-pointers with 33.
Jim Foster was denied his 900th on his first try with a loss to league-leading Mercer last Saturday. He will be the eighth coach in NCAA history (among all Divisions) to reach 900 wins and seventh among DI coaches, fifth among active coaches.