CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga women's basketball team will open Southern Conference play Thursday night at East Tennessee State. The game is set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. inside Brooks Gym.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Chattanooga at East Tennessee State
Thursday, January 5, 2023 | 7:00 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and Larry Ward will have the call on WFLI. Download The Varsity App to follow the game on all your devices.
Links for video, audio and live stats can be found online at GoMocs.com.
 
CHATTANOOGA vs. EAST TENNESSEE STATE
The Mocs and Bucs first met in 1975, the first year of the Mocs program. Chattanooga won the first five meetings. Chattanooga leads the series 62-25 with the teams winning on the other's home court last season. In Johnson City, UTC is 28-14.
 
CHATTANOOGA MOCS (8-7)
The Mocs went 8-7 in non-conference play, its first winning slate since the 2017-18 season. UTC went 5-5 in 2020-21. UTC is third in the SoCon standings and the second team in the SoCon in the RPI/NET Rankings at 132. UTC is ranked 16^th in the nation for scoring defense and 35^th for free throw shooting percentage. The Mocs are ranked in the Top 100 in six statistical categories in the NCAA. Abbey Cornelius, Yazz Wazeerud-Din, Addie Grace Porter and Raven Thompson are all ranked among the nation's leaders in multiple individual categories in the NCAA.
 
Chattanooga averages 58.4 points per game, outscoring its opponents by nearly five points per game. The Mocs are second in the SoCon in scoring defense, allowing foes just 53.7 points per game, field goal percentage (.372) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.279). Chattanooga leads the way on the defensive boards allowing opponents just 30.7 rebounds per game. At the charity stripe, UTC is second making 76.6 percent of its attempts and second on the defensive boards, pulling down 26.7 per game.
 
Yazz Wazeerud-Din is fourth in the SoCon with a team-best 15.8 points per game. Raven Thompson leads the Mocs on the boards with 7.9 rebounds per game and is second in scoring with an average 13.3 points. Abbey Cornelius is third on the team in points (11.4) and second in rebounding with 7.4 per game. She is second in the SoCon with a team-best 1.2 blocked shots per game. The Mocs are the top three defensive rebounders in the SoCon led by Mocs point guard Addie Grace Porter with 6.1 per game. She ranks third on the team in rebounds averaging 6.8.
 
EAST TENNESSEE STATE (13-3)
The Bucs atop the standings in the SoCon through non-conference play with a 13.3 mark and are ranked 20^th in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25. ETSU is 10^th in the NCAA in scoring defense and top 50 five more.
 
ETSU leads the SoCon in overall wins (13), scoring defense (52.9), scoring margin (+9.0), defensive field goal percentage (.355) and rebounding margin (+10.0).
 
Guard Jiselle Thomas leads the Bucs with 14.2 points per game and scored her 1,000^th point against South Carolina. Nevaeh Brown is second on the team in scoring 10.3 points per game and has started the last four games after leading the team off the bench through her first 11 games. On the boards Journee McDaniel and Jayla Ruffus-Milner lead the way. Ruffus-Milner has a team-high 7.4 with McDaniel pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game.