CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Mocs hit the hardwood one last time before Christmas on Friday, December 19, as they take on Western Kentucky inside McKenzie Arena. Chattanooga is going for its third win in a row, which it has not done yet this season.

Game Day Information
Chattanooga (6-5, 0-0 SoCon) vs. Western Kentucky (4-6, 0-0 Conference USA)
Date: Friday | December 19
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Site: Chattanooga, Tenn. | McKenzie Arena
Promotion: UTC Cheer Club and Scarf Giveaway

Check GoMocs.com for links to live stats, video streaming on ESPN+ and audio streaming on WFLI 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM hosted by the Varsity Network.
Tickets can be purchased in advance here or by calling/visiting the McKenzie Arena Box Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627) during business hours of M-F, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (ET). 

Last Time They Met
February 14, 1983 | Chattanooga 44, Western Kentucky 71
It's been nearly 43 years since the Mocs and the Hilltoppers have shared the court together. On Valentine's Day in 1983 it was Western Kentucky, playing on its home court, who earned a dominant 71-44 win.

Series History
Chattanooga and Western Kentucky have met just two times, dating back to 1982. The series is tied 1-1 with the home team winning both games.

Starting a Homestand
Chattanooga's game against Western Kentucky marks the beginning of a four-game homestand, that bleeds into the start of conference play. The Mocs take on Southern Wesleyan on December 30, before taking on Wofford on January 8 and Furman on January 10.

Heating Up Offensively
In Chattanooga's last two games, it has scored its highest number of points in a game against Division I opposition with 78 against Bellarmine and 81 at Tennessee State. The Mocs have shot a combined 52.1% (62-119) from the field and 44.1% (19-43) from three in the two wins.

Comeback Queens
Chattanooga overcame a 14-point deficit in its last home game vs. Bellarmine to win 78-73. It's the Mocs largest comeback win of the season and their third of at least eight points (13 vs. Sac. State) and (8 vs. NKU).

Southern Conference vs. Conference USA
The Southern Conference is currently winless against Conference USA opposition this season, with a record of 0-3. ETSU lost to Elon in OT on November 3 before falling to Kennesaw State by one point on November 12. Lastly, Mercer lost to Jacksonville State by 10 points on December 3.

Scouting Chattanooga
The Mocs are 4-1 in their last five games and are coming off arguably their most dominant performance of the season, defeating Tennessee State on the road 81-51. In the win, Caia Elisaldez scored a team-high 23 points and dished out seven assists while Gianna Corbitt delivered a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The dynamic duo have been two of the top players in the Southern Conference this season. Corbitt leads the league in scoring at 15.4 points per game and ranks fourth in the league in rebounds per game with 6.4. Elisaldez is right behind Corbitt at a mark of 15.1 points per game, which ranks third in the conference, and she also averages a conference-high 5.8 assists per game.

As a team, Chattanooga is averaging 65 points per game and is allowing just under that at 64.8 points per game. On the glass, Chattanooga averages 32.6 rebounds per game with its opponents averaging 34.2 rebounds per game. That being said though, the Mocs have recently started to rebound the ball at a higher rate, winning the rebound battle in each of their last four games. They pulled in a season-high 41 rebounds in the win at Tennessee State.

Scouting Western Kentucky
Similar to Chattanooga, Western Kentucky is coming off a blowout win, as it traveled to play North Dakota and came out on top with a commanding 80-50 victory. This ended a short two-game losing skid for the Hilltoppers where they were defeated by FAU and Miami (Ohio).

Western Kentucky is a balanced team offensively, with five players averaging at least eight points per game. Those players include Jennifer Silva (9.4 ppg), Torri James (9.3 ppg), Zsofia Telegdy (8.9 ppg), Salma Khedr (8.6 ppg), and Tia Shelling (8.4 ppg).

In total, the Hilltoppers average 58.3 points per game while giving up 63.5 points per game. One of the things Western Kentucky has done well this year as a team is block shots. It averages 5.9 per game which leads Conference USA and ranks 13th in the country.

Western Kentucky has a very diverse roster with six international players, all coming from different countries: Elif Naz Sal (Turkey), Enni Ahervuo (Finland), Jennifer Silva (Brazil), Zsofia Telegdy (Hungary), Yendri Acosta (Dominican Republic), and Salma Khedr (Egypt).

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