UTC Women’s Basketball Takes on Virginia Tech in NCAA Tournament First Round
The Chattanooga women’s basketball team is headed north to take on top-seeded Virginia Tech Friday in Blacksburg, Va. Chattanooga received the No. 16 seed in the Seattle Regional.
GAME DAY
No. 16 Mocs at No. 1 Hokies
Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
Time: 5:30 p.m.
TV: ESPNU
RADIO: WFLI
MOCS vs. HOKIES
Chattanooga and Virginia Tech have met five times with the Hokies coming out on top in each contest. In Blacksburg, Va., the Mocs are 0-3 including the first two meetings (1984, 1994) and the last in 2018.
LAST TIME OUT
Chattanooga claimed it’s 19th Southern Conference Tournament title with a 63-53 win over Wofford Sunday, March 5 in Asheville, N.C. The Mocs avenged a pair of regular season losses to the Terriers with the win. Raven Thompson led Chattanooga with 19 points and just missed a third straight double-double with nine rebounds. She became Chattanooga’s first freshman to be named SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Addie Grace Porter had a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Chattanooga shot 51.2 percent in the game and hit seven 3-pointers in the win. From the line, UTC was 12-of-16 with Thompson making 8-of-8 for a second straight game. Porter and Yazz Wazeerud-din, who had 16 points in the game, joined Thompson on the all-tournament first team and Abbey Cornelius earned a spot on the second team.
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA (20-12)
The Mocs reached the 20-win mark in Shawn Poppie’s first season after winning three straight in the SoCon Tournament. This is the 22nd season UTC has reached 20 wins. Chattanooga is making its 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Yazz Wazeerud-Din leads Chattanooga in scoring with 15.9 points per game and has a league-high 78 3-pointers. That puts her fifth at UTC for treys made in a season. Raven Thompson is second on the team in scoring with 15.1 points and third for rebounds with 6.7 per game. She broke a 25-year old freshman record with 149 free throws made. She was selected to the SoCon Postseason All-Conference second team and was named the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Addie Grace Porter is second on the team in rebounding with 6.9 per game and has a team-high 89 assists and 41 steals. Porter leads the SoCon in defensive rebounds with six per game and is second in the NCAA for minutes played at 38.4 per game. Abbey Cornelius lead Chattanooga on the boards with 7.0 rebounds per game and is third in the SoCon for blocked shots with 1.2 per game.
This is the Mocs first No. 16 seeding in the tournament. UTC is the first Southern Conference Team to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, getting a No. 12 seed in 1989.
ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (27-4)
The Hokies earned their first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tech won the ACC Tournament last week after defeating Miami, Duke and Louisville in consecutive days at Greensboro Coliseum to lift the trophy for the first time since joining the conference in 2004. For the program, it is the 12th appearance in “The Big Dance” and third in a row under the leadership of Kenny Brooks. Tech’s overall record in the competition is 9-11 and the Hokies last made the second weekend in 1999 (the program’s only appearance in the Sweet Sixteen). The Hokies have won 11 straight contests since Jan. 26. Tech went 14-1 at home and 8-1 in league games for the second straight season. Elizabeth Kitley is the program’s all-time leading scorer and averages 18.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 56.3 percent from the field. Georgia Amoore, the point guard, was named the ACC Tournament MVP and First Team All-ACC selection. She averaged 21.6 points in the tournament and set an ACC Tournament record with 14 made 3-pointers.
