GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Chattanooga women's basketball kept its undefeated Southern Conference record intact on Thursday night, when the Mocs took down UNCG 73-55 in Greensboro to hand the Spartans their first loss at home this season.
The Spartans (13-7, 2-3 SoCon) entered the night 11-0 when playing at home this season, but they would be met with a Chattanooga (16-3, 4-0 SoCon) team that has been just as hot on the road this year with a perfect 4-0 record in away games. Ultimately it was the Mocs that prevailed in Fleming Gymnasium, with UTC turning in yet another strong shooting performance in the win.
It was shaping up to be a war right from the jump for these two teams, as both UTC and UNCG swapped leads over the course of the first quarter. After 10 minutes of action, the Spartans sat just ahead of the Mocs 12-9, but there was still plenty of time for the tides to shift.
It wouldn't take long for that tide to shift in favor of the Mocs, as a 4-0 scoring run to open the quarter by Chattanooga quickly erased the deficit that UTC had faced. Over the remainder of the second, the teams once again fought back and forth for the lead in the game. For a second it looked as though the Spartans would be taking the lead into the half, that was until Raven Thompson connected on a three-point bomb for the Mocs with just 22 seconds left in the frame to put UTC back on top.
Heading into the halftime break, the Mocs were looking at a narrow 32-30 lead over UNC Greensboro with another 20 minutes of hard work still coming.
After a handful of buckets were once again traded between the two sides, Chattanooga ripped off one of its best scoring runs of the night early-on into the third, outscoring the Spartans 13-2 to build up a cushy 48-36 advantage with 2:41 left in the quarter. However, another surge by UNCG would cut it back down to single digits as the buzzer sounded, with UTC now holding a 51-43 lead through three quarters.
Needing a major spark to get the win over the finish line, the Mocs turned to one of the youngsters on the team to get the job done, Caia Elisaldez. Elisaldez, who had entered the fourth quarter with just five points, set the tone right away by logging a three-pointer for Chattanooga to bump the lead back up to double-digits.
The freshman continued to take the game over, going on to score nine of her eventual 15 points on the night in the frame to help guide the team to victory. Outside of her career-high point total, Elisaldez also used her vision to link up with her teammates for another career-high, this time in assists (5).
The Mocs kept their foot on the gas and didn't look back, leaving the Spartans in the dust in the process. When all was said and done, the Mocs were looking at a convincing 73-55 victory on the previously unbeaten Fleming Gymnasium floor.
UTC was led in scoring by Raven Thompson (19) with Jada Guinn (18) and Elisaldez (14) following closely behind. Thompson and Addie Grace Porter also both logged nine boards a piece for the Mocs.
FROM THE HEAD COACH | QUOTES
On snapping UNCG's home court win streak
"They're a really good basketball team. They're really good at home. We just found a way to be a little better tonight. Any road win is a good win and we'll take it after the defeat we had up here last year that took a championship from us."
On bouncing back from a slow start
"I thought we got off to a slow start. I don't know if we were waiting to see what kind of pressure it looked like or whatever. But I thought we did a lot of standing around and watching and took ourselves into a lot of traffic. So we struggled to score early on. I thought once we spread it out and made US plays as the game went on, I mean, we scored 23 in the second [quarter], 19 in the third and 22 in the fourth. Much more efficient on the offensive side of it and defensively, I thought overall, we did a pretty solid job. We've got to finish on some box outs. We a chance there in the third to finish on a better note. We let them finish on a run. Little stuff we've got to figure out, but proud of the group."
TOP TAKEAWAYS | NOTES
- Today's game was the 63rd meeting all-time between UTC and UNCG.
- The Mocs now lead the all-time series 50-13.
- Chattanooga is now 21-7 when playing on the road in Greensboro.
- This was the first win for UTC on the road against UNCG since February 3, 2018.
- Chattanooga moves to a perfect 5-0 record in true road games this season.
- The last time UTC started 5-0 in road games in a season: 1999-2000 season (went on to finish 12-0 on the road that year).
- The last time UTC won five straight true road games in a season: 2014-15 season (10 straight road wins).
- The Mocs have also handed UNCG its first home loss in either men's or women's basketball this season. The Spartans are now a combined 20-1 at home.
- UTC has also now won each of its last five games. The team is undefeated in the 2024 calendar year.
- The Mocs also remain undefeated in SoCon play at 4-0.
- The last time Chattanooga started 4-0 in conference action: 2016-17 season (started 6-0, finished 12-2 overall).
- Starters: Porter, Guinn, Olafsdottir, Thompson and Murphy. This starting five now is now 14-2 on the year.
- UTC has now led 16 out of 19 games this season at the half.
- Jada Guinn has scored 10+ points in every game this season for the Mocs (19 games).
UP NEXT: WESTERN CAROLINA
With the front half of the team's two-game road trip now in the rearview, the Mocs will now take their talents to Cullowhee, North Carolina, for a Saturday afternoon contest at Western Carolina (5-15, 0-5 SoCon). Tipoff between UTC and the Catamounts is currently scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on ESPN+. Fans can also tune into 104.3 FM to catch Larry Ward's broadcast of the game. Live stats can be found on the team's schedule page on GoMocs.com.
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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