CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. –The Mocs have made it to the final week of the regular season as they travel to Birmingham to take on Samford on Thursday. Chattanooga is looking to complete the season sweep of the Bulldogs and clinch a share of the SoCon Regular Season Championship with a win.

Game Day Information
Chattanooga (18-7, 10-2 SoCon) at Samford (12-17, 5-7 SoCon)
Date: Thursday | February 26
Time: 4:00 p.m. CT/5:00 p.m. ET   
Site: Birmingham, Ala. | Pete Hanna Center

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.

Last Time They Met
Feb. 1, 2026 | Chattanooga 61, Samford 40
Aided by outscoring Samford 17-5 in the fourth quarter, Chattanooga defeated Samford 61-40 at home. Chattanooga was led by Izzy McPherson who had a historic game, knocking down six threes on her way to a 20-point game. Her six threes tied a McKenzie Arena record for most made in a game by a Moc. McPherson also had seven rebounds.

Series History
In a rivalry that dates back to 1998, UTC is 32-12 all-time against Samford... The Mocs are 12-7 on the road at Samford... Have won five of the last six meetings, with the lone loss being last year in Birmingham... Thursday marks the 45th all-time meeting.

Never a Doubt
Behind a late 10-0 run, highlighted by two triples from Sarah Owona, Chattanooga defeated UNCG on its Senior Day 56-54. Caia Elisaldez led the Mocs with 19 points. The Mocs overcame a 12-point deficit for their fifth double-digit comeback win of the year.

Elisaldez Named Player of the Week
Caia Elisaldez was named SoCon Player of the Week on Tuesday for the second time this season and the fourth time in her career. In wins over WCU and UNCG, Elisaldez averaged 19.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.

Where Things Stand in SoCon
Chattanooga can clinch a share of the SoCon Regular Season Championship with a win at Samford. If the Mocs win on Thursday and at Mercer on Saturday, they will be outright champions. Wofford is currently in second place, half a game back of UTC. The Terriers' lone remaining game is at Furman on Saturday. 

Scouting Chattanooga
As they begin the final week of the regular season, Elisaldez and Gianna Corbitt have established themselves as two of the best players in the conference. Elisaldez leads the league in scoring (16 ppg) and in assists (5.2 apg). She has been on a heater lately, averaging 22.5 ppg in her last four games. Corbitt averages 14.6 ppg (4^th in SoCon) and 8.2 rpg (3^rd in SoCon). The sophomore forward is a four-time winner of SoCon Player of the Week honors this season and has scored 30 points in two games.

Coming off the bench, Owona is a player that Chattanooga can utilize to spark its offense. The junior from Belgium has shot the deep ball at a rate of 54% (7-13) in Chattanooga's last five games.

In these final two games of the regular season, Chattanooga will rely on its defense that leads the league in opponents' points allowed in SoCon games at 51.7 ppg. In the win vs. Western Carolina last week, the Mocs held the Catamounts to just 36 points.

Scouting Samford  
Since losing to the Mocs on Feb. 1, and dropping to 1-6 in league play, the Bulldogs have been one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won four of their last five games, with their lone loss coming on the road at Wofford. On its home court this season, Samford is 7-3.

Kaylee Yarbrough leads Samford in scoring at 12.3 ppg, but has been quiet in her last two games with six points at Furman and three points at Wofford. Briana Rivera is a key player to watch, as she leads the nation in 3-pointers made at 98 and 3-pointers per game with 3.38. She has made four or more threes in five of the last six games, including seven vs. Western Carolina. Sierra Goldbolt is another name to watch, as she has scored in double figures in her last three games, starting with a 22-point display vs. Mercer.

As a team, Samford leads the SoCon in 3FG% in SoCon play at 35%. The Bulldogs are also first in league play in assists per game at 11.6.

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