Cullowhee, N.C. – Fireworks are expected in the Ramsey Center Thursday night as the Catamount women's basketball team raises the curtain on its Southern Conference schedule by hosting the reigning conference champion Chattanooga Mocs. Tip for the league opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the Catamounts and Mocs marking the first SoCon matchup across the conference this season.
Thursday's game will be broadcast through the SoCon's NexStar agreement (check local listings) and simulcast on ESPN+ (paid subscription required). A free online audio broadcast through the Catamount Sports Network and live stats will be available through CatamountSports.com.
Eight Nexstar affiliates have the opportunity to air the SoCon games. Two stations including WYCW CW62 (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville) locally – and although not a Nexstar station – WFLI CW53 (Chattanooga) are slated to air Thursday's game.
Thursday's Women's Basketball Matchup:
Western Carolina (10-5, 0-0 SoCon) vs Chattanooga (5-8, 0-0 SoCon)
Jan. 9, 2024 | Ramsey Center | Cullowhee, N.C. | 6:00 p.m.
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/yc8eumsv
Listen (CSN): https://tinyurl.com/8c642zsk
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/yzx5bwn4
Tickets: CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets
Looking Around the Southern Conference: January 9
Chattanooga at Western Carolina | 6 p.m.
ETSU at UNC Greensboro | 7 p.m.
Full Court Press:
The Catamounts and Mocs meet for the 100th time on the hardwood, the longest series for either team and the first matchup in both program's histories to hit the century mark. Western Carolina trails in the all-time series 13-86 with the Mocs and looks to claim its first victory since the 2022-23 season and snap a 12-game skid at the Ramsey Center.
Last season, the two teams met three times, with a bonus meeting in the Southern Conference tournament. The Catamounts led entering the fourth quarter over the Mocs in both regular-season matchups, but fell 69-59 in Cullowhee and 60-56 in Chattanooga.
The two teams haven't faced a common opponent this season but did see their fair share of A-Sun opposition in the nonconference schedule. The Catamounts went 2-0 over the conference with wins over West Georgia and Queens in back-to-back outings, while the Mocs went 1-2 with a win over Lipscomb but losses to Florida Gulf Coast and Bellarmine.
WCU rides into Thursday's matchup as winners of five of its last six games overall and has won three of its previous four Division I games. Meanwhile, the Mocs are 1-5 in their last six games and have lost five consecutive Division I matchups.
Players to Watch:
The Catamount offense hit its stride to close out the nonconference slate, posting at least 75 points in their last six games thanks to the efforts of AC Carter and Tyja Beans. The two currently rank first and third, respectively, in the SoCon in scoring with the Carter averaging 14.3 ppg and the Beans holding a 12.8 ppg mark. The graduate student from Atlanta has an eleven-game double-digit points streak dating back to WCU's 28-point win over USC Upstate while Beans has a six-game run of her own.
Zanoria Cruz has also come into her own offensively, posting back-to-back 19-point and 20-point outings to cap off the nonconference schedule. Cruz recorded her first double-double in the Catamount win over Montreat with a 20-point, 10-rebound performance.
Jada Burton and Chelsea Wooten look to build off strong performances against the Mocs last season. Burton recorded an efficient game hitting 7-of-8 field goals in the home meeting last season, leading the team with 15 points, while Wooten hit three-3s en route to a 14-point outburst against UTC in the road defeat.
Coach Tsipis and staff look for Reagan Trumm to continue to make an impact off the bench in the conference opener. The junior Catamount currently leads the SoCon three-point percentage, converting 41.4% of her attempts into points. She is 11th in made 3-pointers with 18 on the season so far. She's 9-for-15 from deep in her last two games and will look to keep up her success.
Four Mocs have scored 100 or more points on the season. Chattanooga is currently led by sophomore Caia Elisadelz who is 13th in the SoCon with 10.3 points per game. She has recorded 124 points, trailing team leader Gianna Corbit with 127 total points. Elisadelz leads the team in field goal percentage, hitting 47.6% of her shots. Mocs cornerstone Sigrun Olafsdottir has seen a jump in efficiency this season and is atop the team in three-point percentage with a 41.8% mark and 23 makes.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
The Thursday/Saturday SoCon schedule hits in full swing as the Catamounts host the ETSU Bucs in a "Blackout Ramsey" game presented by First Bank on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tip-off for the second SoCon game of the season is set for 1 p.m. as the first half of a doubleheader with the men's team, who hosts the Mercer Bears. The Catamounts then hit the road as they face the Wofford Terriers and the Furman Paladins on January 16 and 18 respectively.
