CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga women's basketball team will have its first road test of the season on Friday, November 10, as the Mocs travel to Clarksville, Tennessee, for an in-state clash against Austin Peay.
The Mocs (1-0, 0-0 SoCon) came out swinging in the team's season-opening win over King on Monday, but now will be faced with their first Division I opponent of the year in the Governors (0-1, 0-0 ASUN) with the game taking place on APSU's home court.
Friday's game is set to tip at 7 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on ESPN+. It marks the first of 11 true road games that UTC will play during the 2023-24 season.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Date: Friday, November 10, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Follow the game live online on ESPN+, WFLI, The Varsity App or the GoMocs App. Links are available online at GoMocs.com.
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (1-0, 0-0 SoCon)
The Mocs are coming off a season-opening blowout over Division II opponent King University, with UTC having dismantled the Tornado 88-32 to earn their first victory of the 2023-24 season. The 56-point win marks just the seventh time in program history that the Mocs have won a game by 50+ points, with the last time coming in 2008. Chattanooga shot the lights out of McKenzie Arena on Monday, shooting a blazing 60.7 percent from the floor and 52.6 percent from three-point range on their way to the victory. The team's field goal and three-point shooting splits both rank in the Top 10 in the NCAA, with their field goal percentage currently ranking as the third best in the entire NCAA.
Individually, the Mocs relied on a three-headed scoring monster against King with starters Raven Thompson and Jada Guinn each notching 16 points for the Mocs. The team's leading scorer, however, came off the bench in the form of true freshman Hannah Kohn. Kohn finished her collegiate debut with 17 total points, including connecting on five threes from behind the arc. Their offensive prowess, mixed with the rebounding of Kailyn Farrell (9.0 rebounds/game) and the defensive effort of Addie Grace Porter and Sigrun Olafsdottir (3.0 steals/game each) have the Mocs poised to make some noise as the new season rolls on.
ABOUT AUSTIN PEAY (0-0, 0-0 ASUN)
Austin Peay enters its matchup with the Mocs with a sour taste in its mouth following a season-opening loss to Trevecca Nazarene on Monday in Clarksville. It was ultimately a lack of three-point shooting that hurt the Governors the most against the Trojans, as Trevecca outshot APSU from behind the arc 41.2 percent (7-for-17) to just 20 percent (4-for-20). The real key to success for Chattanooga will be shutting down Austin Peay's second unit, as the Governors scored 36 of their 59 points on Monday from off the bench.
The Mocs will have to look out for center Shamarre Hale for the Governors, as the grad student and reigning Second Team All-ASUN selection led APSU in points (15) and rebounds (6) off the bench in the team's season-opening loss. Hale isn't the only threat in Austin Peay's lineup, as junior guard Kaili Chamberlain will also need to be given some attention by the UTC defense. Chamberlain, who scored nine points in her debut with the team on Monday, was the 2022 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year while playing with her former school, McNeese State.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
The last time these two teams met came a year ago as the Mocs played host to the Governors at McKenzie Arena on November 12, 2022. The Governors ultimately came out victorious in a 58-53 win over UTC behind a 20-point night by Mariah Adams and 15-point night by Yamia Johnson. The duo, who are no longer with APSU, shot a combined 11-for-17 (64.7 percent) from the floor and 13-for-15 (86.7 percent) from the charity stripe in the victory. As for the Mocs, much of UTC's scoring came from senior Abbey Cornelius as she nearly posted a double-double with a 19-point, 9-rebound outing. Then-freshman Raven Thompson also came close to a double-double in the game after scoring 10 alongside having eight rebounds for the Mocs. It was primarily the turnover battle that was Chattanooga's undoing in the loss, with the Mocs having a combined 17 total turnovers compared to APSU's nine.
TOP NOTES
- The Mocs are 33-9 all-time against the Governors, with Friday's meeting marking the 43rd meeting between UTC and APSU.
- When playing in Clarksville, Chattanooga is 15-5 all-time against Austin Peay.
- UTC has won nine of their last 11 meetings with the Governors.
- Chattanooga is coming off of a year in which they won their 19th SoCon Tournament and made their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
- Only Shawn Poppie and Jim Foster have coached UTC to an NCAA Tournament appearance in their very first season at the helm of UTC women's basketball.
- The Mocs were selected to finish first in the Preseason SoCon Media Poll and second in the Preseason SoCon Coaches Poll.
- Sophomore Raven Thompson became the third-fastest player in program history to reach 500 career points on Monday, doing so in just her 34th game with the team.
- Both Thompson and grad transfer Jada Guinn earned Preseason All-SoCon nods by the conference prior to the season.
- Guinn reached 1,000 career points in UTC's season-opener after scoring 16 for the Mocs against King.
- Freshman Hannah Kohn scored a team-high 17 points in her collegiate debut on Monday. This marked the most points scored by a player in their UTC freshman debut since 2002.
- Chattanooga enters their game against Austin Peay ranked in the Top 10 in the entire NCAA in team field goal percentage (.607 – 3rd), three point percentage (.526 – 9th) and scoring defense (32.0 – 10th).
50 SEASONS OF CHATTANOOGA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
The 2023 season for the Chattanooga women's basketball team marks a major landmark for the program and the university, as UTC women's basketball officially celebrates its 50th season of competition as a university sponsored athletic program. Following the adoption of the Title IX legislation back in 1972, UTC added women's basketball, tennis and volleyball programs to its roster of athletic teams, bringing on five decades of history and success for each of the teams. Chattanooga WBB will be putting on multiple promotions and content pieces throughout the 2023-24 season to celebrate the program's history, culminating in the team hosting its 50th Season Celebration and Reunion during the Mocs' February 3 matchup against Furman at McKenzie Arena.
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