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Women's Basketball Greg Hartlage, Director of Media Relations

Women's Basketball Opens Road Swing at League-Leader Chattanooga

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball opens a three-game road swing on Thursday night, battling league-leader Chattanooga at McKenzie Arena with tip-off set for 7 p.m. The matchup with the Mocs will be shown on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available on CatamountSports.com. 

Matchup: Western Carolina (6-20, 1-10 SoCon) at Chattanooga (22-3, 10-0 SoCon) 
Date: Thursday, February 22
Time: 7 p.m.  
Site: McKenzie Arena (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Live Video: Watch ESPN
Twitter: @CatamountWBB 
GAME NOTES

Western Carolina closed out the home slate on Saturday with graduate student Lonasia Brewer matching her career-high with 20 points, but Samford rode a solid second quarter to spoil the Catamounts' senior day with the Bulldogs earning the 72-57 victory on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center.

Jada Burton is second in the SoCon with 97 assists as one of two players in the league to have at least 90 assists on the season. She is three helpers away from becoming the 20th player in program history to reach 100+ assists in a season. Burton is looking to reach the milestone and be the first Catamount since the sister tandem of Judith Martin Ruiz (113 assists) and Andrea Martin Ruiz (109 assists) hit the mark during the 2019-20 season. Burton remains among the top players in the SoCon in assists during league play, with 35 helpers in 10 conference games to sit third in that category. 

Chelsea Wooten ranks third in the SoCon with 53 made 3-pointers and is tied for the top spot in the league with 2.2 made threes per game. The McKinney, Texas product leads the team and is 10th in the SoCon with an average of 30.9 minutes per game, tied for eight in conference play at 32.6 minutes per game in the 10 games. 

Brewer ranks 10th in offensive rebounding throughout the 2023-24 campaign, totaling 57 boards, including 27 in conference play, which puts the Akron, Ohio native in a tie for fourth place in the SoCon. Led by Burton's 97 helpers, the Catamounts sit second in the league with 346 assists while tallying 128 of those in SoCon play, as the Catamounts also rank second in league games.

Chattanooga maintains its unbeaten mark in SoCon play with a 10-0 record and sits 22-3 overall, winning its last 11 games. The Mocs' lone defeats have come at the hands of Marshall (Nov. 12), Coastal Carolina (Dec. 20), and Richmond (Dec. 21). UTC has defended its home court going 11-1 and are also 9-0 in true away games this season. 

Chattanooga leads the SoCon in all three major shooting percentages at 45.1% (FGs), 37.0% (3-Pt), and 78.3% (FTs), led by four-time conference player of the week Jada Guinn. Guinn ranks second in the league with 18.2 points per game, tallying double figures in all but one game this season including a season-high 30 points against WCU earlier this season. 

Raven Thompson ranks third in the SoCon with 14.8 points per game with 19 double-figure scoring outputs and has added a pair of double-doubles to her stat line this season. Guinn leads the Mocs on the glass with 7.0 rebounds per game, which puts her tied for sixth place in the conference. 

Thompson is tied for ninth in the league with 6.6 boards per contest. Guinn (18.7 ppg) and Thompson (15.1 ppg) sit second and third in SoCon play in points per game over the Mocs 10 games played. 

In the first meeting back on Jan. 27, Jada Burton posted a season-high 15 points, but Western Carolina couldn't overcome a fourth-quarter burst from Chattanooga as the Mocs escaped Cullowhee with a 69-59 win. Burton eclipsed the 1,000 career point plateau in that contest.

Following Thursday's action in Chattanooga, the Catamounts continue their season-ending three-game road swing with a trip to Johnson City, Tenn., to battle ETSU with a tip-off from Brooks Gymnasium set for 2 p.m. The matchup with the Bucs will be shown on ESPN+ with live stats on CatamountSports.com. 

Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's basketball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, Catamountwbb).
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Players Mentioned

Lonasia Brewer

#1 Lonasia Brewer

F/P
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Jada Burton

#10 Jada Burton

G
5' 8"
Junior
Chelsea Wooten

#11 Chelsea Wooten

G
5' 9"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Lonasia Brewer

#1 Lonasia Brewer

6' 0"
Graduate Student
F/P
Jada Burton

#10 Jada Burton

5' 8"
Junior
G
Chelsea Wooten

#11 Chelsea Wooten

5' 9"
Junior
G