CHATTANOOGA — Chattanooga women’s basketball welcomes back a familiar foe from the team’s earlier days in the Southern Conference, as the Marshall Thundering Herd come to town Sunday, November 12 for the team’s Military Appreciation Game.
The Mocs (2-0, 0-0 SoCon) have been steady through the team’s first two games of the 2023-24 season, but now will be faced with the Marshall (0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) squad that will be returning to Chattanooga for a women’s basketball game for the first time since 1997.
Sunday’s matchup with the Herd is scheduled to tip at 2 p.m. ET at McKenzie Arena. Fans not in attendance can catch the live stream on ESPN+, listen to Larry Ward on the radio on 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM or follow along via live stats on GoMocs.com.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, November 12, 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Follow the game live online on ESPN+, WFLI, The Varsity App or the GoMocs App. Links are available online at GoMocs.com.
GAME PROMOTION: MILITARY APPRECIATION GAME
Sunday’s game marks the Mocs’ Military Appreciation or “Salute to Service” game at the Roundhouse. With that, the team welcomes all current and former military members, first responders, doctors and nurses to come to the game with their ID. In doing so you will receive free admission to Sunday’s game against the Herd. Tickets can be claimed at the McKenzie Arena ticket booth.
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (2-0, 0-0 SoCon)
The Mocs were able to continue their undefeated start to the 2023-24 season on Friday as the team was able to claim a 57-52 win over Austin Peay in UTC’s first road game of the season. Through two games, the most have shot the ball exceptionally well with the Mocs ranking 14th in the NCAA in team three-point percentage (.472) and 18th in team field goal percentage (.525). Additionally, Chattanooga’s defense has been able to lock down both of the team’s opponents to open the new season with the Mocs only giving up 42.0 points/game, ranking first in the Southern Conference.
Raven Thompson continues to be a safety valve for the Mocs, as the sophomore has averaged 18.0 points/game so far this year after dropping her first 20-point game of the season against Austin Peay. Grad transfer Jada Guinn has been the one-two punch offensively alongside Thompson, as Guinn is averaging 17 points/game for the Mocs. From three-point range freshman Hannah Kohn remains on of the nation’s most lethal shooters, as the Oviedo, Florida, native remains ranked 33rd in the country in three-pointers made (6) this season, even after a quiet night in Clarksville on Friday. On the defensive side of the ball, Sigrun Olafsdottir has proven to be one of the SoCon’s top defenders as the junior is currently averaging 3.0 steals/game to open the season.
ABOUT MARSHALL (0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)
The Thundering Herd enters their game against the Mocs searching for their first win of the new season after Marshall dropped their season-opening game against George Mason 84-77 on Thursday. The Mocs will have to look out for the Herd’s offense on Sunday, specifically in the second half as Marshall was able to score a total of 55 of their 77 points against George Mason in the second half. Marshall will also be bringing some solid rebounding into McKenzie Arena, with the Herd having logged 43 rebounds in their season-opener. The key for the Thundering Herd will be to limit their turnovers against the Mocs after Marshall had a total of 29 total turnovers against the Patriots to open the year.
Marshall had a three-headed monster on offense when it came to scoring the pill, as the trio of Roshala Scott, Breanna Campbell and Abby Beeman accounted for 61 of the team’s 77 points against George Mason. Scott is currently the team’s leading scorer after dropping 28 points against the Patriots, with nine of those points coming from the free throw line. Campbell and Beeman would finish with 17 and 16 each, respectively. Beeman also provided a strong defensive presence for the Herd, grabbing four steals in the loss.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
The last time these two teams met came just a season ago, when the Chattanooga Mocs returned to Huntington, W.Va., for the first time in 25 years and fought to the end in a 60-56 loss to Marshall at the Cam Henderson center. Chattanooga took its first and only lead of the game early in the fourth, starting the final frame with six straight points. Sigrun Olafsdottir’s third 3-pointer of the contest put the Mocs up 50-48 with 8:50 to play. Marshall, however, responded with six points of its own and held off the Mocs determined offensive effort the rest of the way. Raven Thompson drove from the outside with 20 seconds to play, hitting a layup to pull Chattanooga to within a point at 57-56. UTC put the Herd on the line twice in the final seconds with Marshall scoring three of four free throws, but the Mocs were unable to find a bucket in response. Thompson tied her career-best with a game-high 23 points and pulled down six rebounds. She was 8-of-11 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Her 3-pointer in the third period pulled Chattanooga to within four points midway through the quarter. Olafsdottir had season-highs with 14 points, five assists and three 3-pointers. She was 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
TOP NOTES
– UTC is coming off a year in which they won their 19th SoCon Tournament and made their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
– The Mocs were selected to finish first in the Preseason SoCon Media Poll and second in the Preseason Coaches Poll.
– Sophomore Raven Thompson became the third-fastest player in program history to reach 500 career points in the team’s home-opener versus King, doing so in just her 34th career game with the team.
– Both Thompson and grad transfer Jada Guinn earned Preseason All-SoCon nods from the conference prior to the season.
– Sigrun Olafsdottir reached 100 career steals in UTC’s win over Austin Peay. She is currently averaging 3.0 steals/game this season.
– The Mocs continue to be one of the most efficient shooting teams in the nation to open the year, as UTC currently ranks 14th in the NCAA in three-point percentage (.472) and 18th in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.525) to start the season.
– A suffocating Mocs defense has been the key to Chattanooga’s hot start to 2023-24, with the team leading the SoCon in scoring defense by only allowing 42.0 points/game.
50 SEASONS OF CHATTANOOGA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The 2023 season for the Chattanooga women’s basketball team marks a major landmark for the program and the university, as UTC women’s basketball officially celebrates its 50th season of competition as a university sponsored athletic program. Following the adoption of the Title IX legislation back in 1972, UTC added women’s basketball, tennis and volleyball programs to its roster of athletic teams, bringing on five decades of history and success for each of the teams. Chattanooga WBB will be putting on multiple promotions and content pieces throughout the 2023-24 season to celebrate the program’s history, culminating in the team hosting its 50th Season Celebration and Reunion during the Mocs’ February 3 matchup against Furman at McKenzie Arena.
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