ASHEVILLE, N.C. --- For Chattanooga women's basketball, it is officially tournament season as the team makes its annual trek to Asheville, North Carolina, for the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament.

The Mocs (25-4, 13-1 SoCon) were a dominant force throughout the regular season, dropping just four total games enroute to the team earning its 23^rd SoCon regular season title. Now entering the weekend as the No. 1 seed, the Mocs will need to be ready bright and early Thursday morning as UTC is set to square off with No. 8 seed Western Carolina (6-23, 1-13 SoCon) at 11 a.m. ET.

Thursday's matchup against the Catamounts will be available on ESPN+ as well as over the radio on the primary WFLI stations including 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM. A win by the Mocs would set them up for another 11 a.m. ET tipoff on Friday, March 8 against the winner of No. 4 seed Mercer and No. 5 seed ETSU. The SoCon Tournament title game is set to run at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 10 with television coverage being provided by ESPNU.

GAME DAY INFORMATION
Opponent: #8 Western Carolina
Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m. ET
Follow the game live online on ESPN+, WFLI, The Varsity App or the GoMocs App. Links are available online at GoMocs.com.

MOCS FAN CENTRAL
Pre-game:
The Bier Garden (46 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801) is the home of the Mocs pre-game festivities throughout the SoCon Tournament in Asheville, NC this year. This will be the gathering place prior to each Mocs contest during the Championship weekend, beginning on Saturday, March 9. As our teams advance in the tournament, we will be hosting socials at The Bier Garden 90 minutes prior to tip and ending 15 minutes prior to tip. 

Post-game:
Following each game throughout the tournament, join your fellow Mocs fans at Off the Wagon Dueling Piano Bar (22 N. Market Street, Asheville, NC 28801), the preferred post-game celebration destination for Mocs fans. 

FAN CENTRAL SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 7
11:00am - #1 Chattanooga WBB vs. #8 Western Carolina Catamounts
Immediately following the game, join your fellow Mocs Fans at The Bier Garden for the Women's Basketball Postgame Social
6:00pm - 8:00pm - UTC Alumni Social at White Labs Brewing Co.
(172 S. Charlotte St., Asheville, NC 28801). To RSVP for this event, click HERE.
Hosted by the UTC Alumni Office
7:30pm - Tip-off Event at Off the Wagon Dueling Piano Bar
Hosted by Mocs Sports Properties. Any UTC apparel, UTC ID or game ticket will provide complimentary admission to the venue. Drink menu specials will be available.
 
Friday, March 8
5:30pm - 7:30pm - UTC Fans Welcome Event Social at The Bier Garden
To RSVP for this event, please click HERE.
Hosted by the UTC Mocs Club. Spirit Teams and Pep Band in attendance.
 
Saturday, March 9
4:30pm - 5:45pm - Men's Basketball Pregame Social at The Bier Garden
6:00pm - #3 Chattanooga MBB vs. #6 Wofford Terriers
 
Check back HERE as the Mocs advance through the men's and women's brackets for more information on any additional UTC fan festivities.
 
GAME DAY PROMOTIONS
- Education Days – Thursday, March 7 and Friday, March 8 – Asheville area school children will attend the 11 a.m. women's games on both days as part of the annual SoCon Education Days. 
- Dollar Hot Dog Night – Friday, March 8 – Hot dogs at the Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville concession stands will be specially priced at $1 each for the men's first round games on Friday, March 8. 
- Downtown Dribble & Kidsfest – Saturday, March 9– The annual Downtown Dribble and Kidsfest will take place Saturday, March 9 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Roger McGuire Park in downtown Asheville, culminating with a dribble parade from the park to the Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville at 11 a.m. Kids participating in the Downtown Dribble and Kidsfest will get free admission to the Saturday noon session with a paying adult. 
- Youth Sports Day – Sunday, March 10 – The Southern Conference will be honoring and welcoming all Youth Sport groups and participants to the women's championship game and the men's semifinal games on Sunday, March 10. 
- Hometown Heroes – Monday, March 11 – The Southern Conference is rewarding various groups within the Asheville community for their service and dedication with tickets to the Monday, March 6 men's championship game at 7 p.m.. These groups include first responders, current and former military members, healthcare workers and employees in the service industries.
 
FAN ZONE AT THE SOCON CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Fan Zone for 2024 will feature free food and beverage sampling on select days and times, a photo booth, Mascot Challenge voting kiosks, classic arcade games, free giveways, and other activities. The Fan Zone will be open at the SoCon Basketball Championships on the following days and times:
- Friday, March 8 – 4 p.m. till 8:45 p.m. 
- Saturday, March 9 – 11 a.m. till 3:45 p.m. 
- Saturday, March 9 – 5 p.m. till 9:45 p.m. 
- Sunday, March 10 – 11 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. 
- Sunday, March 10 – 3 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. 
- Monday, March 11 – 6 p.m. until 8:15 p.m.
 
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (25-4, 13-1 SoCon)
The Mocs enter the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed following a 2023-24 regular season that saw the Mocs finish 25-4 and 13-1 in SoCon play. Chattanooga has been an elite when it comes to shooting the ball, ranking first in the conference in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and free throw percentage. UTC is also one of the nation's premier defensive squads, limiting opponents to 53.4 points/game and just a 26.6 percent three-point percentage on the year. The Mocs are led by head coach Shawn Poppie, who was named the 2024 Southern Conference Coach of the Year prior to the tournament getting underway. Players recognized by the SoCon heading into the tournament included First Team All-Conference selections Jada Guinn and Raven Thompson, as well as All-Defensive Team honoree Sigrun Olafsdottir and All-Freshman Team honoree Hannah Kohn.
 
ABOUT WESTERN CAROLINA (6-23, 1-13 SoCon)
The Catamounts enter the 2024 SoCon Tournament as the No. 8 seed following a 6-23 regular season that included going 1-13 in league play. While it may be easy to overlook WCU based on their record, the Catamounts are not a team for Chattanooga to take lightly as Western Carolina boasted fourth quarter leads on the Mocs both times that the two squads met during the regular season. WCU has two players recognized by the conference in the league's end of season awards, with grad student Lonasia Brewer earning a place on the All-Conference Second Team (Coaches Poll) while freshman Tyja Beans was selected to the All-Freshman squad.
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Chattanooga women's basketball needed the dominoes to fall perfectly the last time they met the Catamounts, and they did just that and more as the Mocs captured the program's 23rd Southern Conference regular season title with the team's 60-56 win over Western Carolina. The Mocs needed just about every minute of the game to get the job done against the Catamounts, but ultimately came away with the team's 11th conference victory this season in front of the McKenzie faithful. The team's attention then turned to the video board as they watched second-place Wofford fall to Samford in Birmingham, clinching the outright regular season title as the crowd roared around them. Jada Guinn led all scorers in the UTC victory with 29 points, as she has now scored 59 (29.5/game) in the Mocs' two games against WCU this season. Raven Thompson tacked on an additional 16 points for Chattanooga. Thursday's quarterfinal matchup with the Catamounts marks the 99^th meeting all-time between the Mocs and WCU, as Chattanooga currently leads the series 85-13.
 
TOP NOTES
• Chattanooga's all-time SoCon Tournament record: 63-21
• Chattanooga's all-time SoCon Tournament record as 1 seed: 38-4
• Number of times UTC has been 1 seed (including this year): 18
• Number of times UTC has won SoCon Tournament as 1 seed: 13
• UTC's SoCon Tournament record under Shawn Poppie: 3-0
• 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.
• 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 been a pure bucket-getter for the Mocs this year, finishing in double-digits in 28 out of 29 games this season. Additionally, Guinn has eclipsed the 20-point mark 11 times this season including scoring a career-high 30 at WCU.
• 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 (56 3PT made) has her sights on earning a new UTC freshman record for 3PT made in a season. The current UTC freshman record is 64 by Lakelyn Bouldin from 2016-17.
 
HOTEL INFORMATION FOR MOCS FANS/ALUMNI
The Hilton Garden Inn Asheville Downtown (309 College St, Asheville, NC 28801) located just .52 miles from Harrah's Cherokee Center serves as the Mocs Fans hotel throughout the tournament. Click HERE to make a reservation.

For information on other hotel accommodations, click HERE.
 
SOCON CHAMPIONSHIPS PARKING
Fan Parking is located throughout downtown Asheville. Additionally, Fan Trolleys will be running during the tournament from a number of locations starting 120 minutes (2 hours) before each game of each day, and 60 minutes following the conclusion of each game of each day. Thursday through Monday, March 7-11. Click HERE for a parking map.
 
Real-time parking information for Asheville Parking Decks can also be found HERE.
 
FAN TROLLEY STOPS/ROUTES
Route 1 Trolley:
Sears Alley/Coxe Avenue Parking Deck @ Corner of Sears Alley and Coxe Ave
Wall Street Parking Deck @ Page Avenue and Battery Park Avenue.
Page Avenue @ Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville
 
Route 2 Trolley:
Renaissance Hotel- Front Entrance
College Street Parking Deck (164 College Street)
Haywood Street @ Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville
 
VENUE INFORMATION
Harrah's Cherokee Center – Venue Website
Box Office Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Friday, 10am - 4pm (Varies on Day of Event)
Click HERE for more information.
For information regarding venue policies, please visit HERE.
For a seating diagram, click HERE.
 
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
Follow @GoMocsWBK on Twitter & @gomocswbk on Instagram for the most up-to-date information and news regarding Chattanooga women's basketball.

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