First Look
The Chattanooga Mocs women's basketball team cruised to an 82-34 victory over the King Tornado on Monday afternoon in McKenzie Arena. The Mocs used a 26-6 second quarter to take full control after an early see-saw battle.
 
First Take
"I'm really proud of the fact that we played a complete game. That's one building block in the process of where we want to get to this season. Even when we had two of our starters go down when they collided in the first half, we didn't skip a beat but even to really bust out the lead. I really was proud of how this group responded, and I always say that's going to be the telltale sign of how good a team's going to do, and I'm really excited for what this team has in store for it." – Coach Deandra Schirmer
 
Resources: Stats | Notes | Quotes | Photos
 
Records – Chattanooga (1-0) | King (0-0)
 
Breakdown

• A 25-3 spurt turned a 14-10 UTC advantage late first quarter into a 39-13 lead in 9:11 of playing time. Chattanooga carried a 43-16 lead into the break.
• The offensive explosion started with a Gianna Corbitt layup at 9:49, assisted by Falon Bedke. The Mocs defense forced multiple turnovers, with Caia Elisaldez significantly contributing with several fast-break points, including a layup at 7:57. Sarah Owona extended the lead with a layup and a free throw at 3:46, following a foul by King. The Mocs' aggressive play resulted in a 13-0 run, highlighting their control over the quarter.
• Chattanooga extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring King 22-10. Corbitt played a crucial role with a layup at 8:27, assisted by Elisaldez, who also added a fast-break layup at 7:41. Ava Card's three-pointer at 6:30, followed by a series of successful free throws, continued to build the advantage. Despite Alayna Smith's efforts for the Tornado, including a layup at 5:43, Chattanooga maintained control, closing the quarter with a 39-point margin (65-26).
• It was more of the same with a solid 17-8 advantage in the fourth quarter. The biggest lead of 52 points (80-28) came on a Evie Bruce layup at 5:02.
• The Mocs played before a crowd of 2,465 on Education Day as the area's youth from Hamilton County schools brought amazing energy and enthusiasm to the game.

 
Stat Check

• The Mocs had multiple double-digit runs in the game. 14-0 (3:08/2Q), 13-0 (3:51/4Q) & 11-0 (3:41/1st-2ndQ).
• Dominated the hustle stats with a 46-10 advantage on points in the paint and 28-9 on points off turnovers.
• Shot 54.2 percent from the field (32-59) and 27.3 percent (6-22). The Mocs made 70.3 percent (26-37) from inside the arc.
• Junior Caia Elisaldez had a game-high 20 points with five assists and zero turnovers.
• No other Moc reached double figures but seven scored between six to nine points.
• The Tornado were led by Smith's 10 points and seven rebounds. They were limited to 22.1 percent shooting (11-48) and 21.1 percent from 3pt range (4-19).

 
Quotable
"This game meant a lot to our team for a number of different reasons. We lost two of our family members in the Mocs women's basketball community in Mary Jane Heavener and David Gibbs that passed away before this season. We talked a lot about honoring them in a way that we would be relentless throughout this game, and I feel like our girls really embodied that and were able to focus throughout the 40 minutes, no matter what the score was." – Coach Deandra Schirmer
 
"I think it's an honor. Honestly, we have a great group and to have their trust, that means a lot to me." – Junior Caia Elisaldez on her increased leadership role
 
"It was just being grateful and not taking anything for granted. The whole week has been a mental battle over 'am I going to make it to my first game again' and how is that going to play out? Today, I was just very thankful while making sure that when I got out there that I'm happy and grateful and that it shows." – Kalifa Ford
 
Next Up
The ladies are back in action Thursday night, Nov. 6, at Florida. That's followed by trips to Lipscomb (Nov. 9) and Troy (Nov. 12) before coming back to the Roundhouse to host UAB on Nov. 16. Tickets are available here on GoMocs.com.