CHATTANOOGA. --- The Chattanooga women's basketball put on a dominant display on Wednesday night in McKenzie Arena, barreling through Division II opponent King University with a 75-34 blowout victory over the Tornado.
The Mocs put together a very solid performance on the night, with UTC hanging its hat on a season-low 12 turnovers paired with shooting the ball at a 26-for-51 (51 percent) clip as a team. Chattanooga also shut down the Tornado in the middle 20 minutes of the game, only allowing King to score a combined nine total points across the second and third quarters.
"This is a game where we are trying to develop a young group and develop a young team," head coach Deandra Schirmer said. "It was very important we approached this game with the level of focus and intensity that we needed to. We needed to play a high-energy and high-focused game of basketball. The defensive effort was there, and I think we're starting to click offensively with the way we move and pass the ball.
"What I'm most proud of is that this group is buying in to what we're trying to do. This game is a confidence boost for everyone involved. If we can play unselfish basketball and play gritty defense like we're capable of, we're going to be a really tough team come March and that's something we're chipping away at."
Sigrun Olafsdottir got the Mocs off to a perfect start after King won the opening tip, as the Iceland native ripped the ball away for a steal followed by a transition layup to put the Mocs on the board first just 18 seconds into the game.
However, the Mocs were really unable to find their groove in the opening 10 minutes of play, with the Tornado hanging tight with UTC all the way to the end of the frame. While Chattanooga still led by a score of 16-12, the Mocs were aiming to turn up the heat on the Tornado in the second.
And turn up the heat they did, as the Mocs ended up out-scoring King 18-3 over the course of the second quarter. In the second quarter, the Tornado ended up having seven turnovers, a 10 percent field goal percentage and zero percent three-point percentage. Aside from one made free throw at the 7:08 mark of the period, King's only other points and only made field goal of the entire frame came with just 0:05 left in the first half.
Bouncing back from their slow start, the Mocs were now holding a commanding 34-21 lead at the break.
To open the third quarter, UTC continued to keep its foot on King's throats, maintaining the exact same energy that the Mocs had played with over the course of the second quarter. This time out-scoring the Tornado 26-4, the Mocs ran away with the third quarter, putting UTC up 58-27 with just 10 minutes left in the game.
The fourth quarter provided some valuable minutes for UTC's second unit out on the floor, with many of Chattanooga's freshmen getting some substantial playing time down the stretch. It was here that freshman forward Gianna Corbitt went on a run for the Mocs stringing together six of her eventual career-high 13 points with only a minute coming off the clock.
Behind an amazing, all-round team effort, the Mocs came away victorious with a 75-34 blowout victory over the Tornado. It marks the second consecutive meeting between these teams that has resulted in a 40+ point margin of victory for the Mocs.
Caia Elisaldez ended her night with a team-high 15 points, tying her career-high from earlier in the season. She was one of four Mocs to finish as a double-digit scorer, with Elisaldez being joined by Corbitt (13), Karsen Murphy (11) and Brooke Anya (11).
Murphy would nearly end her night with a double-double for the Mocs, finishing one rebound shy at nine total, leading the team. It marks the most rebounds she's recorded in a game for UTC since Feb. 24, 2022.
Sigrun Olafsdottir also stood out on the UTC stat sheet, as she wrapped up her evening with eight points, a team-high seven assists, three rebounds and a team-high three steals. Elisaldez finished right behind Olafsdottir in the assists department, recording six, while Anya matched Olafsdottir's steal total of three, marking a new season-high for the grad transfer.
FROM THE HEAD COACH | QUOTES
On tonight's goal coming into this game.
"My number one goal was that everyone who went in, played with the right energy and intensity for a basketball game. I feel like this game was a great opportunity for some of our players who might not see a lot of playing time to come in and show us what they can do. I thought everyone who stepped on the court today played well, knew the game plan and knew our scout while playing aggressively. That's what we hoped for."
TOP TAKEAWAYS | NOTES
- This marked the third meeting all-time between Chattanooga and King.
- The Mocs now lead the all-time series 3-0.
- Chattanooga finished with a season-low 12 total turnovers in the victory.
- The Mocs shot the ball at a season-best 51 percent (26-for-51) clip.
- UTC also shot 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from three.
- The Mocs went 16-for-19 from the free throw line (84.2 percent). It's the most free throws made and attempted in a game for UTC this season.
- The Mocs limited King to just three points in the second quarter. This matches the team's best for fewest points allowed in a quarter in a season.
- The other time UTC limited its opponent to three points in a quarter this year came against Shorter, holding them to that total in the second quarter of the season-opener.
- UTC followed this up by only allowing six points to the Tornado in the third.
- The Mocs out-scored the Tornado 42-9 combined in the second and third quarters.
UP NEXT: LIPSCOMB
The Mocs will remain home through this weekend in preparation for a game on Monday, November 20 at 11 a.m. ET against Lipscomb. It'll be another tough, Division I challenge for the Mocs are the Bisons currently hold a record of 5-1 to open the year. Monday's game will also serve as Education Day, during which numerous local schools will be in attendance to cheer on UTC. Fans that aren't able to make it out to the game can still follow along with all the action either on ESPN+ or by tuning into WFLI 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM or The Varsity app over the radio.
FOLLOW CHATTANOOGA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Follow @GoMocsWBK on Twitter & @gomocswbk on Instagram for the most up-to-date information and news regarding Chattanooga women's basketball.
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.
