CHATTANOOGA --- Chattanooga women's basketball will welcome one last team to McKenzie Arena in 2023 this Sunday, with the Mocs welcoming a tough Eastern Kentucky squad to the Roundhouse.
The Mocs (10-1, 0-0 SoCon) have gotten off to an amazing start to their season, winning their last eight matchups to open the year 10-1, the team's best start to a season since 1987-88. However, the Colonels (9-2, 0-0 ASUN) of Eastern Kentucky will not be a pushover as Sunday's matchup will feature teams that are actively leading their respective conference standings.
Tipoff between UTC and EKU is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET at McKenzie Arena on Sunday, with a live stream available on ESPN+ and radio broadcasts available on 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/1070 AM. Live stats can also be found at GoMocs.com.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, December 17, 2023
Time: 6:00 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.
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (10-1, 0-0 SoCon)
To say the Mocs have gotten off to a hot start to 2023-24 would be an understatement. Chattanooga is currently off to the team's second-best start to a season ever in the program's 50 years of history, matching the team's 10-1 start from 1987-88 while riding an eight-game win streak into this matchup with the Colonels. The start trails only the 1983-84 season as the best start to a season in program history, when the Mocs started off the year 13-1. UTC's strategy has revolved heavily around the team's ability to shoot the three, with Chattanooga ranking fourth in the NCAA in three-point percentage by shooting 41.4 percent on the year. While the team has operated as a well-oiled machine, grad student standout Jada Guinn has been a focal point for UTC as the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, native is currently averaging 17.0 points/game and 6.2 rebounds/game on the season. Guinn has already raked in two SoCon Player of the Week awards this season, as has scored 10+ in all 11 games this season.
ABOUT EASTERN KENTUCKY (9-2, 0-0 ASUN)
EKU poses as a very tough challenge for UTC this Sunday, as the current leaders of the ASUN Conference carry a 9-2 record into McKenzie Arena. The Colonels' only losses on the year have come against Power 5 opponents in Utah and Tennessee, and the high-octane offense that EKU brings to the table has helped the Colonels average 81.1 points/game as a team with an average scoring margin of +17.0. Two players for Eastern Kentucky received Preseason All-ASUN nods prior to the start of the season in Antwainette Walker and Alice Recanati, with the former also being named as the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year. So far this season, Walker has lived up to the hype as the graduate student currently is averaging 23.9 points/game and 5.8 rebounds/game to open the year. Fellow guard Recanati has also had an impressive start to the 2023-24 season, as she currently is averaging team-highs in assists (5.5 per game) and steals (2.1 per game).
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Sunday's matchup marks just the sixth-ever meeting between Chattanooga and Eastern Kentucky, with the last time coming December 9, 2021 in Richmond, Kentucky. In that game, the Colonels were able to claw out a 60-55 victory over the Mocs to improve to 4-1 all-time against UTC. The Mocs were able to start off the game on an 11-0 run over the opening five minutes of action fueled by the likes of Brooke Hampel and Dena Jarrells. While UTC never trailed in the opening half of the game, EKU was able to cut the Chattanooga lead down to one at halftime with the Mocs leading 30-29. The second half was a different story as the Colonels came out and controlled the pace for the remainder of the game. UTC was able to hang with Eastern Kentucky for a majority of the second half, but the Colonels would finally pull away just enough to earn the 60-55 win. The Mocs have never defeated the Colonels on their home floor.
TOP NOTES
• Both Raven Thompson and grad transfer Jada Guinn earned Preseason All-SoCon nods by the conference prior to the season.
• Guinn was named SoCon Player of the Week on Tuesday following a 21-point, 13-rebound performance against UNA. She has now won two conference POTW awards this season.
• Chattanooga is currently riding a eight-game winning streak, the team's longest win streak since 2015-16.
• With a 10-1 start to the year, the Mocs are now having their best start to a season since 1987-88. The best start to a season in program history came in 1983-84, when UTC started 13-1.
• The duo of Guinn and Thompson has scored a combined 345 of the Mocs' 739 points this year, with Guinn averaging 17.9 and Thompson averaging 14.8.
• The Mocs currently rank as the fourth-best three point shooting team in the nation shooting at 41.4 percent. This is thanks in large part to freshman Hannah Kohn, who currently ranks seventh in the entire NCAA in three-point percentage individually (.532) while making an average of 2.3 threes/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.
FOLLOW CHATTANOOGA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
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