FORT MYERS, Fla. --- Chattanooga women's basketball is taking its talents to the Sunshine State this Thanksgiving weekend, with the Mocs set to take part in the 2024 FGCU Homewood Suites Tournament.
The Mocs will open their tournament on Friday, November 29 by taking on Penn University at 1 p.m. ET. The following day, UTC will then have to take on tournament host FGCU on Saturday, November 30 at 4 p.m. ET. Both games will be hosted in Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida.
Only Saturday's game against Florida Gulf Coast will be available to stream on ESPN+, but fans can still tune into Will Poindexter's radio broadcast for both games this weekend either on WFLI 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM or The Varsity app. Live stats will also be provided for both games. Those links can be found on the team schedule page on GoMocs.com.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Opponent: Penn
Date: Friday, November 29, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Follow the game live online on WFLI, The Varsity App or the GoMocs App. Links are available online at GoMocs.com.
Opponent: FGCU
Date: Friday, November 29, 2024
Time: 4:00 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 (4-3, 0-0 SoCon)
The Mocs bring a two-game win streak into their weekend in Florida, having defeated King University and Lipscomb at McKenzie Arena this past week. The Mocs have prided themselves on their defense and three-point shooting to open the year, with UTC currently holding teams to a 53.1 points/game average while shooting .323 from three-point range and averaging 7.6 three-pointers made/game. Caia Elisaldez, who was named as the most recent SoCon Player of the Week this Tuesday, has been a key player for the Mocs with the sophomore leading the team in scoring by averaging 11.4 points/game while shooting .500 from the floor on the year.
ABOUT PENN (4-3, 0-0 Ivy League)
The Quakers were able to snap a three-game losing streak on Tuesday after Penn put together a dominant 114-39 victory over Immaculata. Despite the losing streak, Penn still is sitting above .500 on the year after a 3-0 start to their season has the Quakers at 4-3. Penn's rebounding stands out as a key to the Quakers' success, with their 41.6 rebounds/game average currently leading the Ivy League. The player to watch for the Quakers thus far in 2024-25 has been senior Stina Almqvist, who is averaging the second-most points/game in the Ivy League this season at 18.7 points/game. The senior has failed to score fewer than 10 points in any of Penn's games this season, and she also leads the team in rebounding by averaging 8.4 per game.
ABOUT FGCU (3-2, 0-0 ASUN)
After an 0-2 start to the 2024-25 season, the Eagles have rebounded to bring a 3-2 record into the team's home tournament, having strung together victories over NJIT, Georgetown and Cincinnati. Much like the Mocs, the Eagles have put together a strong defensive effort to open the year, as FGCU's 56.2 points/game scoring defense currently ranks second in the ASUN Conference. The duo to look out for for FGCU are Emani Jefferson and Maddie Antenucci, who are currently averaging 14.0 and 12.0 points/game, respectively. Jefferson has shot the ball at an astounding .711 clip from the floor while also leading the team in assists and steals. Antenucci has also shot the ball well, going .392 from the field.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
UTC and Penn will meet for the very first time in women's basketball on Friday. As for FGCU, this will be the third all-time meeting between Chattanooga and FGCU. That series currently stands at 1-1, with each team having won the game in which they hosted the other. The most recent game between the squads came on Dec. 17, 2017 when the Mocs downed the Eagles 68-61 in McKenzie Arena.
TOP NOTES
• This marks the very-first time that Chattanooga and Penn will meet on the hardwood.
• UTC has only played a total of five games against Ivy League schools in the program's 51-year history.
• All-time the Mocs are 4-1 against Ivy League programs with the most recent game coming in 2017 against Princeton.
• On the other hand, this will be the third all-time meeting between Chattanooga and Florida Gulf Coast.
• The series is currently tied 1-1 with the Mocs having won the most recent meeting between the two squads back in 2017.
• Caia Elisaldez was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday after dropping back-to-back career-high scoring efforts for the Mocs against King and Lipscomb.
• Deandra Schirmer has sent out a different starting lineup in each of the last four games for the Mocs.
• Chattanooga has yet to lose a game this season (4-0) in which the team has out-rebounded its opponent, as well as shot 40 percent from the floor or better.
• Sigrun Olafsdottir not only leads the SoCon, but ranks ninth in the entire NCAA in minutes/game this season. She is averaging 36.99 per night for the Mocs on the year.
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