The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team closes out this week's road trip at UNCG Saturday afternoon at Fleming Gymnasium.
Chattanooga and UNCG first met in 1998. The Spartans won both that year and then two the next season. After the Mocs took the next two regular season games in the 1999-2000 season, UNCG eliminated the Mocs in overtime in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament. Over the next 41 meetings, UTC has won 39. The last UNCG win was last season in overtime in Greensboro.
Chattanooga responded to that loss by eliminating the Spartans in the quarterfinal round of the Southern Conference Tournament. UTC won the first meeting this season and are now 18-3 against UNCG at home and 17-3 on the road. The Spartans have won both overtime meetings and the Mocs are 7-1 in the Southern Conference Tournament.
The Mocs breezed by Western Carolina Thursday evening for a 58-41 win and earned Jim Foster his 900th career victory. UTC is 14-8 overall and 5-3, third in the SoCon standings. Chattanooga leads the nation in fewest fouls per game and is 17th for field goal percentage defense and 3-point field goal defense.
Keiana Gilbert leads the team in scoring with 13.5 points per game and has 5.7 rebounds per game. Aryanna Gilbert is second on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game and has a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game, 64 assists and 30 steals. Lakelyn Bouldin leads the Mocs from the 3-point line with 47 3-pointers and is third on the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game.
The Spartans are 10-13 on the year and 4-4 in league play. They beat Wofford and then Furman in double overtime then took down Western Carolina last week and ETSU, second in the SoCon. UNCG is averaging 64.4 points per game and allow opponents 62.2. They are shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from the 3-point line.
Nadine Soliman, the 2017 SoCon Freshman of the Year, leads the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game and is 35-of-111 (.315) from the 3-point line. Ije Ajemba has a SoCon-best 12.3 rebounds per game and is second on the team in scoring with 11.7 points per game.
This past week, Jim Foster became the eighth coach in women's basketball history at all levels to earn his 900th win. He is tied with former Texas coach Jody Conradt for seventh.