The Chattanooga women’s basketball team is set to close out its home regular season this week, hosting a pair of SoCon matchups that include having Western Carolina take on the Mocs on Thursday, February 22.
The Mocs (22-3, 10-0 SoCon) continue to inch closer and closer to clinching the Southern Conference regular season title, as UTC enters this week’s games needing just one win to claim at least a share of the SoCon regular season crown. The Catamounts (6-20, 1-10) stand in the way, however, with WCU aiming to play spoiler on what could be a special day at McKenzie Arena.
A win paired with a Wofford loss on Thursday would give the Mocs the outright regular season title, as well as clinch the No. 1 seed in the SoCon Tournament next month in Asheville. If the Mocs are unable to get the ideal UTC win and Wofford loss combo on Thursday night, then attention would shift towards winning on Saturday against UNCG in the team’s final home game of the season.
The Mocs are slated to tipoff against Western Carolina at 7 p.m. ET with coverage being provided by ESPN+ and as well as WFLI 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM. Live stats will be available through GoMocs.com and can be found on the UTC schedule page.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Opponent: Western Carolina
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Follow the game live online on ESPN+, WFLI, The Varsity App or the GoMocs App. Links are available online at GoMocs.com.
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (21-3, 9-0 SoCon)
There are a plethora of different things one can highlight when talking about the 2023-24 Chattanooga women’s basketball squad, but there is nothing that stands out for the Mocs quite like their undefeated SoCon record of 10-0. UTC is currently one of just 10 Division I teams that have yet to lose a conference game this season, sitting alongside elite company such as South Carolina and UConn. An additionally impressive feat for the Mocs has been their active 10-game home win streak, with UTC currently holding a 10-1 record in the Roundhouse this season. Besides their efficient shooting stats, which rank first in the SoCon across multiple categories, the Mocs have produced numerous lockdown defensive performances this season, which have in turn seen UTC climb the ranks to currently sit as the sixth-best scoring defense in the entire NCAA (53.3 points allowed/game).
ABOUT WESTERN CAROLINA (6-20, 1-10 SoCon)
The Mocs will need to tread lightly on Thursday to avoid falling victim to what is seemingly a trap game against the bottom-ranked Catamounts. While WCU’s record leaves something to be desired, they still pose a sneaky threat to UTC’s win streak. Four of Western Carolina’s conference loses have been by single digits, and earlier this month the Catamounts were able to get the monkey off their back by defeating an impressive UNCG team 78-71 to earn the team’s first SoCon victory of the season. This season, the Catamounts are outshooting their opponents 41.4 percent to 39.8 percent from the floor, but a minus-3.8 turnover margin has weighed down WCU from reaching its fullest potential. Chattanooga will need to come in ready to fight, as they’ll be taking on a Western Carolina squad with nothing to lose that can put on an impressive performance on any given night.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Earlier this season, the Mocs went into Cullowhee and were able to come away with a 69-59 win over the Catamounts. While the Mocs controlled much of the first half of that game, sloppy play by UTC allowed WCU to come storming back and even carry a lead into the final quarter of action. Thankfully for the Mocs, a strong finish to the game helped Chattanooga seal the win over WCU to remain undefeated in conference play. Jada Guinn would score a career-high mark of 30 points in that win earlier this year. Overall, the Mocs lead the all-time series against the Catamounts 84-13.
TOP NOTES
• Jada Guinn has been a pure bucket-getter for the Mocs this year, finishing in double-digits in 24 out of 25 games this season. Additionally, Guinn has eclipsed the 20-point mark eight times this season including scoring a career-high 30 at WCU.
• Guinn has won a total of five different Player of the Week honors this season. She is a four-time SoCon POTW and one-time TSWA POTW, including winning last week’s accolade from the SoCon.
• The Mocs have started 10-0 in SoCon action this year. They are one of just 10 teams left in the NCAA that have yet to lose a game in conference play.
• The duo of Guinn & Thompson has scored 810 of the Mocs’ 1,608 points this year, with Guinn averaging 18.2 and Thompson averaging 14.8.
• Hannah Kohn (48 3PT made this season) has her sights set on earning a new UTC freshman record for three-pointers made in a season. The current freshman record is 64 set by Lakelyn Bouldin during her freshman year in 2016-17.
• The Mocs currently have the sixth-best scoring defense in the entire NCAA, holding teams to an average of 53.3 points/game this season.
50 SEASONS OF CHATTANOOGA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The 2023 season for the Chattanooga women’s basketball team marks a major landmark for the program and the university, as UTC women’s basketball officially celebrates its 50th season of competition as a university sponsored athletic program. Following the adoption of the Title IX legislation back in 1972, UTC added women’s basketball, tennis and volleyball programs to its roster of athletic teams, bringing on five decades of history and success for each of the teams. Chattanooga WBB will be putting on multiple promotions and content pieces throughout the 2023-24 season to celebrate the program’s history, culminating in the team hosting its 50th Season Celebration and Reunion during the Mocs’ February 3 matchup against Furman at McKenzie Arena.