RALEIGH, N.C. --- The No. 14 seeded Chattanooga women's basketball team is set to take on No. 3 seed NC State on Saturday, March 23 in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Mocs (28-4, 13-1 SoCon) are aiming to claim the program's second NCAA Tournament victory on Saturday, and in order to do so they'll need to topple the AP No. 11 ranked Wolfpack (27-6, 13-5 ACC) on their home court.
Saturday's opening round game is slated for a 2:30 p.m. ET tipoff on ESPNU, with that start time subject to chance depending on when the Tennessee vs. Green Bay game wraps up earlier that day. Fans can also tune into WFLI 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM for Larry Ward's radio coverage of the game.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Opponent: #3 NC State
Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Follow the game live online on ESPNU, WFLI, The Varsity App or the GoMocs App. Links are available online at GoMocs.com.
TEAM SEND-OFF
The Mocs will be having a team send-off from their hotel at 12:30 p.m. ET including the UTC band, cheer and Ladies of Gold. Fans are encouraged to show up outside of the Doubletree Raleigh Midtown at 12:15 p.m. ET for the event.
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (28-4, 13-1 SoCon)
The Chattanooga Mocs are coming off a 2023-24 campaign in which UTC claimed both the Southern Conference regular season and tournament titles on the year, entering the tournament with just four total losses, only one of which came in the 2024 calendar year. The Mocs have raked in numerous honors this year, including Shawn Poppie being named SoCon Coach of the Year, Jada Guinn receiving All-Conference First Team and SoCon Tournament MVP honors, and Raven Thompson and Hannah Kohn also receiving All-Conference and All-Tournament accolades. UTC has been able to hang its hat on numerous stats and notes throughout the season, none more impressive that bringing a perfect 12-0 road record into the game this weekend, marking one of just two teams in the nation that ended the regular season perfect on the road. The other? No. 1 ranked South Carolina.
ABOUT NC STATE (27-6, 13-5 ACC)
NC State comes into their matchup with the Mocs as the No. 3 seed of the Portland Region, as well as the No. 11 ranked team in the most recent AP poll. Coached by former UTC head coach Wes Moore, the Wolfpack found themselves in the AP Top 10 for a majority of the season before logging a handful of losses late in the year. A talented team that holds a 15-1 record in Reynolds Coliseum this season, one thing NCSU prides itself on is its rebounding, with the Wolfpack currently ranked ninth in the NCAA in rebounds/game (43.6). Aziaha James leads the Wolfpack in multiple stat categories, most notably in scoring as she averages 15.8 points/game.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
The last time these two teams met came on December 19, 2019, when the Mocs traveled to Raleigh and were ultimately bested by the Wolfpack, 74-38. No active players on the UTC roster played in that game, and only one member of UTC's staff, Jon Goldberg, was on the bench for the loss. All-time the Mocs have met with NC State three times in women's basketball. The Wolfpack have won all three of those prior matchups.
TOP NOTES
• UTC's all-time NCAA Tournament record: 1-16
• UTC's NCAA Tournament record as double-digit seed: 1-15
• Number of times UTC has been 14 seed (including this year): 1
• UTC's NCAA Tournament record under Shawn Poppie: 0-1
• Jada Guinn and Raven Thompson were both named First Team All-Conference for the Mocs, while Sigrun Olafsdottir and Hannah Kohn received nods to the SoCon All-Defensive and All-Freshman Teams, respectively. Guinn, Thompson and Kohn were also each honored on the SoCon's All-Tournament Team, with Guinn winning the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player award.
• HC Shawn Poppie was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year in his second year at the helm of the program. It marks the 11th time a UTC coach has received the honor.
• Jada Guinn has finished in double-digits in 31 out of 32 games this season. Guinn has also eclipsed the 20-point mark 13 times including scoring a career-high 33 in the semifinals against Mercer.
• The Mocs finished the season a perfect 11-0 in true road games this year. UTC is joined by South Carolina as the only two teams yet to lose on the road this year. The Mocs have gone undefeated on the road once before in program history (1999-00 went 12-0).
• Hannah Kohn (67 3PT made) holds the UTC freshman record for most three-pointers made in a season.
• N.C. State is coached by former UTC head coach Wes Moore
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.
FOLLOW CHATTANOOGA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
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