Chattanooga, Tenn. – Capitalizing on a stingy zone defense that frustrated Chattanooga offensively early in the second half, Western Carolina women's basketball whittled away 11 points off a 17-point deficit to close within six points with 7:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Mocs responded with a 10-2 run to reclaim a double-digit victory as the league-leader held on for a 52-36 Southern Conference win at The McKenzie Arena.
Tina Bowers finished as the only Catamount to notch double figures, leading the squad with 10 points, her fifth double-figure scoring effort this season. Grace Pack posted eight points and a team-high six rebounds, while Ally Hollifield and Taj Hunter both scored seven apiece.
Chattanooga was led by the usual suspects in Caia Elisaldez and Gianna Corbitt, who combined for 35 of UTC's 52 points. Elisaldez had a team-high 20 points and four assists, while Corbitt went for 15 points, eight rebounds, and five steals.
WCU (3-23, SoCon 0-12) remains on the road to take on the ETSU Buccaneers on Sat., Feb. 21, while Chattanooga (17-7, SoCon 9-2) stays at home to host UNCG.
How it Happened:
Neither team found its footing early on offense, setting the stage for the low-scoring SoCon affair. Chattanooga struck first over two minutes into the game as Caia Elisaldez hit on a 3-pointer as part of five-straight points for the Mocs for an early 5-0 lead. Tina Bowers then connected on a pair of free throws for WCU's first points of the night with 6:06 to play in the first quarter. Gianna Corbitt built the lead to 8-2 before WCU answered with four consecutive points, though UTC carried a 14-8 lead into the quarter break.
The Mocs opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run, not allowing a WCU point until Bowers sank a layup to go with 3:26 to play in the half. Ally Hollifield scored WCU's only other points of the quarter in the final seconds of the frame with a putback and-one as Chattanooga held a 27-13 lead at the half.
WCU was held to single digit scoring in both opening quarters, lighting the scoreboard for eight in the first and five in the second.
The Catamounts rallied in the third quarter, outpacing the Mocs 12-8 in the frame and eventually closed to within seven. Hollifield capped a 10-0 run with a layup, but Corbitt connected on her second 3-pointer of the quarter to put the Mocs ahead 35-25 heading into the final 10 minutes.
Just over two minutes into the fourth quarter, Betsey Burnett pulled the Catamounts within six points with a lay-up, making it 35-29 – the smallest margin since the opening frame. However, Chattanooga's Elisaldez converted a layup and free throw as part of five straight points that stretched it back to double digits. Grace Pack shrunk the lead to single digits for one final time with a layup on an inbounds play at the 6:24 mark, but Chattanooga closed the game on a 12-5 run to secure the 52-36 win.
By the Numbers:
The two teams posted similar shooting percentages from the floor, but WCU's turnover total (22) resulted in Chattanooga firing a larger volume of shots overall, while also preventing the Catamounts from ending possessions with attempts. The Catamounts finished 13-of-39 from the floor (33.3%), while the Mocs had a lower percentage at 32.8%, but went 20-of-61.
The Mocs shot significantly below their seasonal average from 3-point range, connecting on just 8-of-35 (22.9%) from beyond the arc, compared to their 32.6% total. However, for the first time since 2021, the Catamounts were unable to connect on a 3-pointer when taking double-digit attempts, finishing 0-of-14 from beyond the arc in the loss.
Up Next for The Catamounts:
WCU remains on the road in Tennessee for the weekend, traveling to Johnson City to take on the ETSU Buccaneers on Saturday, Feb. 21, with a 4 p.m. tip.
