Cullowhee, N.C. – The Western Carolina women's basketball team hits the road for the final time in the regular season as the Catamounts head west for the Tennessee swing in the Southern Conference schedule, visiting league-leader Chattanooga on Thurs., Feb. 19, and ETSU on Sat., Feb. 21.
The Catamounts (3-22, SoCon 0-11) enter the week looking to build momentum for a strong close to the season, while Chattanooga (16-7, SoCon 8-2) looks to create some distance at the top of the SoCon standings. The Mocs are just percentage points ahead of the two-way tie for second between Furman and Wofford, both at 8-3.
ETSU (13-12, SoCon 6-4) comes into the week after a hard-earned, one-point 91-90 double-overtime win at Chattanooga last weekend.
Both games will be livestreamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required), with live stats available for fans to follow through CatamountSports.com.
Thursday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (3-22, SoCon 0-11) vs Chattanooga (16-7, SoCon 8-2)
Feb. 19, 2026 | McKenzie Arena | 6 p.m. | Chattanooga, Tenn.
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/bdz8hukr
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/jwucu24v
Saturday's Matchup:
Western Carolina (3-22, SoCon 0-11) vs ETSU (13-12, SoCon 6-4)
Feb. 21, 2026 | Brooks Gymnasium | 4 p.m. | Johnson City, Tenn.
Watch (ESPN+): https://tinyurl.com/5dd228nf
Live Stats: https://tinyurl.com/msd79a92
Full Court Press:
The Catamounts and Mocs meet for the second time this season and the 103rd time in the series history, the longest in program history. Chattanooga holds an 89-13 advantage over the Catamounts, including a 40-7 record in Tennessee.
Chattanooga took the first meeting between the two teams, riding a 37-point first half to a 61-52 victory in Cullowhee back on Jan. 24. The Catamounts mounted a rally in the second half, pulling within six points in the fourth quarter, but the Mocs kept WCU at arm's length for the win.
WCU meets ETSU for the 36th time in program history, with the Bucs holding a 27-8 series lead. ETSU outscored the Catamounts by 14 in the second half to claim the 62-50 victory on Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center on Jan. 22. The Bucs have won six of their last seven outings after starting the conference season off 0-3 with losses to Furman, Wofford, and Chattanooga.
Players to Watch:
Ally Hollifield leads the Catamounts across the board, pacing the team in scoring (11.8 points per game), rebounds (5.2 per game), assists (98), and steals (54). Grace Pack has been effective during the conference slate, averaging 9.5 points per game, a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game, and has eight blocked shots.
Reigning SoCon Player of the Week, Chattanooga's Gianna Corbitt, led the Mocs last week with a double-double outing against ETSU. The 6-1 forward went for 25 points and 13 rebounds in a losing effort against the Bucs. Caia Elisaldez has led the Mocs for much of the season as the preseason player of the year, averaging 15.7 points per game while shooting 49.4%. Elisaldez led the Mocs in their previous meeting with the Catamounts, going for 22 points and five assists.
Looking ahead to the weekend, ETSU is led by the SoCon's leading free-throw shooter in Anala Nelson, the lone SoCon player with over 100 made free throws. Nelson has connected on 105-of-131 attempts at the charity stripe. She's the only Buccaneer to average double-digit scoring, averaging 11.0 per outing. Meghan Downing is one of the more consistent rebounders in the conference as well, pulling down an average of 8.2 boards per game.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU is idle in the midweek before hosting the UNCG Spartans for its regular-season finale. The Feb. 28 meeting against the Spartans is the first half of a home doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m., with the Catamount men's basketball team hosting the Furman Paladins at 5:30 p.m.
The Catamounts then turn their attention to the 2026 Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships in Asheville, beginning on March 5.
