CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Mocs end a three-game road swing on Saturday at Western Carolina as they look to move to 5-0 in SoCon play. Tip-off has been moved up from 1 p.m. to 11:00 a.m. due to the incoming winter storm. The game will still be broadcast on ESPN+ and audio streamed on WFLI 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM. 

Game Day Information
Chattanooga (12-5, 4-0 SoCon) at Western Carolina (3-16, 0-5 SoCon)
Date: Saturday | January 24
Time: 11:00 a.m. 
Site: Cullowhee, N.C. | Ramsey Center

Last Time They Met
Feb. 8, 2025 | Chattanooga 74, Western Carolina 59
The Mocs defeated the Catamounts at home 74-59. Chattanooga outscored WCU by a combined 47-24 in the first and third quarters. Caia Elisaldez had 18 points while Sigrun Olafsdottir posted 16 points in the win. 

Series History
Chattanooga leads the all-time series 88-13... 39-6 in Cullowhee... Have won six in a row in the series... Have won 10 out of the last 11 meetings... Series dates back to 1979... Mocs won first 13 meetings between the two.

Road Swing
The game marks the end of a three-game road trip for Chattanooga where the Mocs have already defeated ETSU and UNCG by double digits. After the game against WCU, the Mocs have two homes games in a row against Mercer (1/30) and Samford (2/1). 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and Counting
Chattanooga is riding an eight-game winning streak. It is the first time the Mocs have done so since a 12-game run from 1/3/24-2/22/24. In the win streak, Chattanooga has moved from a losing record to an impressive 12-5 mark and 4-0 SoCon record.

Setting New Defensive School Records
Chattanooga's defense has been on a tear in the last month and has set two new school records. The Mocs have held their last five opponents and last four SoCon opponents to under 50 points for the first time ever. In their last game against UNCG, the Mocs allowed just 40 points, which was the lowest total for the Spartans at home since 2020. 

SoCon Standings
1. Chattanooga, 4-0
2. Furman, 4-1
2. Wofford, 4-1
4. Mercer, 2-2
5. UNCG, 2-3
6. ETSU, 1-3
6. Samford, 1-3
8. Western Carolina, 0-5

Scouting Chattanooga
The Mocs, the preseason No. 1 ranked team in the SoCon, are going for their ninth win in a row on Saturday in Cullowhee. In the win streak, Chattanooga has found itself in sole possession of first place in the SoCon standings, and the highest ranked SoCon team in the NCAA Division I Net Rankings at 188. Caia Elisaldez leads the Mocs in scoring with 14.1 points per game (3rd in SoCon) while also leading the league in assists at five per game. Gianna Corbitt is right behind her, having a great year of her own, averaging 13.8 points per game (5th in SoCon) and 8.1 rebounds per game (2nd in SoCon). They have combined for four SoCon Player of the Week awards this season. 

In Chattanooga's win at UNCG, its two post players, Falon Bedke and Frode Flos van der Schans really stepped up and caused problems for the home team. Bedke scored a season-high 10 points while grabbing five rebounds. Coming off the bench, van der Schans scored six points while setting career highs in rebounds (10) and blocks (3). Three blocks is the most by any Chattanooga player in a game this season. These two will look to continue to compliment each other as the season progresses. 

In conference play, Chattanooga is allowing just 41.8 points per game, which is the best in the league by 13 points. It is also averaging a 15-point margin of victory in these four SoCon games. Offensively, for the entire season, Chattanooga leads the SoCon in field goal percentage at 41.5% and ranks second in three-point percentage at 31.8%. With the threat of Elisaldez and Corbitt, the Mocs are more than capable of scoring a lot of points, which it will look to do on the road on Saturday. 

Scouting Western Carolina
The Catamounts come into Saturday with a 3-16 record and an 0-5 mark in the SoCon. Western Carolina has only been blown out once in SoCon play, falling 69-38 at Furman. All four other games have been decided by 12 points or fewer. Western Carolina is still looking for its first win against Division I opposition this season, as its three wins are against Virginia-Lynchburg, Tusculum, and Montreat.

The guard duo of Ally Hollifield and Taj Hunter are the two top players on the scouting report for Chattanooga Head Coach Deandra Schirmer. Hollifield leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 11.9 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. Hollifield, a transfer from Memphis, has scored 15 points in two SoCon games and went for 27 against Virginia-Lynchburg. Additionally, she leads the team with 3.9 assists per game (4th in SoCon) and is tied for first in the league in steals per game with 2.1. Hunter scores 11.2 points per game and is a 33.9% (20-59) shooter from deep. She has scored at least nine points in all five SoCon games, including 14 against Mercer. 

As a team, Western Carolina is ranked seventh in the SoCon in points per game with 59.6 and opponent points per game at 68.3. One of the problems it has had offensively is turning the ball over, as it leads the league with 20.3 per game. On the glass, the Catamounts grab 37.1 rebounds a game while giving up just about the same at 37.2. Western Carolina won the rebound battle by 10 against Samford and by seven against Mercer.

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