Cullowhee, N.C. – It's a quick turnaround for the Western Carolina women's basketball team as the Catamounts are scheduled to face the red-hot Chattanooga Mocs on Saturday (Jan. 24 ) with an updated 11 a.m. tip-off. Saturday morning's game is the first half of a home doubleheader as Catamount men's basketball hosts the VMI Keydets at 1:30 p.m.
WCU (3-16, SoCon 0-5) comes into Saturday's matchup on a five-game skid in SoCon play, despite holding halftime leads in four of the league games. Chattanooga (12-5, SoCon 4-0) enters the weekend after picking up a 52-40 road win over UNCG, halting the Spartans' long home winning streak. The Mocs are alone atop the Southern Conference standings, sitting a full game ahead of Furman and Wofford in the race.
Saturday's game will be livestreamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) with a live radio broadcast available through the Catamount Sports Network available as well. Additionally, fans can follow along with both games through the live stats link on CatamountSports.com.
Saturday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (3-16, SoCon 0-5) vs Chattanooga (12-5, SoCon 4-0)
Jan. 24, 2026 | Ingles Court at The Ramsey Center | Cullowhee, N.C. | 11 a.m.
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/3a8s2x8b
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/3b7r2psa
Listen (CSN): https://tinyurl.com/29w993hj
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/ypvr7ssp
Full Court Press:
The Catamounts and Mocs meet for the 102nd time overall in the longest-running series in program history. Chattanooga holds an 88-13 record against the Catamounts, with WCU's last win over the Mocs coming on the road in 2023. The last Catamount win over UTC in Cullowhee came back in 2010, as the Catamounts claimed a 51-49 victory.
WCU is looking to carry over its first-half success into the second against the Mocs, as the Catamounts are outscoring SoCon opponents 171-146 in the first 20 minutes but have been outpaced 213-119 in the second. The Catamounts are winning the rebounding battle in the conference slate, picking up 38.6 rebounds per game against SoCon foes.
The only remaining undefeated team in SoCon play entering the weekend, Chattanooga is on an eight-game winning streak, with four of the wins over SoCon teams coming by double digits (W vs Wofford, 61-42; W vs Furman, 61-44; W vs ETSU, 53-41; W vs UNCG, 52-40).
Additionally, Chattanooga boasts the strongest scoring defense in conference play, holding SoCon foes to an average of 41.8 points per game. The Mocs are 4-2 on the road this season, though three of their wins have come in Tennessee (at Lipscomb, 59-56; at Tennessee State, 81-51; and at ETSU, 53-41).
Players to Watch:
Taj Hunter and Ary Dizon led the Catamounts in scoring last time out, with the duo picking up 11 points apiece against ETSU. Hunter, who has been in double figures in five of the team's last six games, also led the team with three assists against the Bucs. Tina Bowers, Betsey Burnett, and Ally Hollifield led the squad on the glass as the trio tied with six rebounds each.
Hollifield continues to lead the Catamounts in scoring this season, averaging 11.9 points per game, but Hunter is close behind with an 11.2 ppg mark. Ary Dizon and Betsey Burnett average 8.7 and 8.6, respectively, with Grace Pack chipping in 7.5 per outing.
Chattanooga fields a lineup with a trio averaging double-figure scoring, with SoCon Preseason Player of the Year Caia Elisaldez leading the way with a 14.4 per game average. Gianna Corbitt is close behind with 13.8 ppg and a team-best 8.1 rebounds per game, second in the SoCon, while Kalifa Ford records 10.3 per game, though she missed Thursday's road win at UNCG.
Saturday morning's matchup pits three of the top players in the SoCon in minutes played as UTC's Elisaldez (34.5 mpg) paces the conference, just ahead of WCU's Hollifield (32.6 mpg) and Dizon (32.1 mpg).
Up Next for Western Carolina:
WCU has the midweek off before closing out the first swing around the SoCon with a trip to Greensboro, N.C., on Feb. 1, to face UNCG. The three-game road swing continues on Feb. 5 and Feb. 7 with visits to Samford and Mercer, respectively.
