CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - It is that time of the year again. March is here and that means that Chattanooga's Women's Basketball is headed to Asheville to compete in the 2026 Southern Conference Tournament. Chattanooga, coming into the Tournament as the No. 1 seed, takes on No. 8 seed, Western Carolina, on Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Quarterfinals to start its postseason journey. 

Game Day Information
Chattanooga (18-9, 10-4 SoCon) vs. Western Carolina (3-25, 0-14 SoCon)
Date: Thursday | March 5
Time: 11:00 a.m.   
Site: Asheville, N.C. | Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville
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. 19, 2026 | Chattanooga 52, WCU 36
UTC defeated WCU 52-36 on its Play4Kay Pink Game in McKenzie Arena. The Mocs controlled the game with their defense, holding WCU to 36 points and no made 3-pointers. Caia Elisaldez scored 20 points to lead Chattanooga in the win. 

Series History
In a rivalry that dates back to 1979, Chattanooga leads the all-time series 90-13... The Mocs are 12-0 in the SoCon Tournament against WCU... First postseason meeting since 2024 Quarterfinals... UTC has won eight in a row in the series... Chattanooga has won 12 out of the last 13 meetings

SoCon Tournament History
The Mocs have won 20 SoCon Tournament's in their history, more than any other school in the league... Have made it to the Championship game in each of the last three seasons with Championship wins in 2023 and 2024... Fell to UNCG in the Championship game last year... UTC holds a 67-22 all-time record in the SoCon Tournament... 19th time entering the Tournament as the No. 1 seed... First time since 2024 being the No. 1 seed... The Mocs are 40-5 as the No. 1 seed... Have won the SoCon Tournament 13 times as the No. 1 seed. 

All-Socon Awards Recap
Caia Elisaldez became the first Moc since Taylor Hall in 2014 to earn SoCon Player of the Year honors. The junior guard was also named to the First Team alongside Gianna Corbitt, who additionally received Defensive Team recognition. Lastly, Izzy McPherson was named to the Freshman Team. It is the third season in a row Chattanooga has had at least one player on the First Team, Defensive Team, and Freshman Team.

Scouting Chattanooga
The Mocs come into the postseason on a two-game losing skid, looking to get back on track when it matters most. UTC won 12 games in a row from Dec. 7 through Feb. 5. However, since then Chattanooga is 2-4. In order to achieve its goal of a Tournament Championship, UTC will look to lean heavily on its defense that held its opponents to under 50 points in six SoCon games. 

Elisaldez ended the year leading the league in scoring at 16.4 points per game and 5.4 assists per game. Moving to Corbitt, she ranked third in the league in both scoring at 15.1 points per game and rebounding at 8.2 rebounds per game. Both Elisaldez and Corbitt scored 20 or more points in nine games this year. McPherson, Kalifa Ford, and Ava Card have all scored in double figures multiple times this season and can put the ball in the basket when called upon. 

Scouting Western Carolina 
The Catamounts come to Asheville on a 14-game losing streak, and were winless in SoCon play. That being said, Western Carolina has been close with Chattanooga in the fourth quarter in both games played between the two sides this season. The Catamounts will look to pull off the upset, likely behind a stingy zone defense, one that held the Mocs to 22.9% (8-35) from three in McKenzie Arena. 

Ally Hollifield is Western Carolina's do it all player, leading the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game, rebounding at five per game, and assists at 3.8 per game (3rd in SoCon). She scored 15 points in the first meeting between UTC and Western Carolina this year in Cullowhee. Hollifield's backcourt partner, Taj Hunter is another solid offensive option for the Catamounts, averaging 10.4 points per game. 

What's Next?
If Chattanooga wins against Western Carolina, it will advance to the Semifinals, scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m. at the Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville. Here they would play the winner of No. 4 seed Furman and No. 5 Mercer, who play Thursday night at 5:45 p.m. The Championship game is scheduled for Sunday at noon. 

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