UTC Women Hope to Make SoCon Tournament Title Run in Asheville

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The UTC women’s basketball team came close to winning the SoCon regular season title, finishing a game out first.
Now it’s time to chase the league’s tournament title, which comes with a ticket to the Big Dance.

Mocs coaches and players are ready for the edge-of-your-seat drama of the SoCon tournament.
Said head coach Shawn Poppie:”When it’s held like it is in Asheville. The men’s tournament and our tournament held together. There’s definitely a buzz.”
Said forward Abbey Cornelius:”Yeah as soon as you pull up and see that arena, all the excitement and nerves start to hit. Getting inside. Getting that first shoot-around is always fun.”
Said Poppie:”Talking to Rusty (Wright) this morning. He said let’s see how long you keep your room key. I kind of thought about it. That’s a good way of looking at it you know.”
Football coaches have so much perspective.
Mocs like their perspective on the tournament as a two seed.
Said guard Addie Porter:”We are a two seed, so people are expecting a lot out of us, and obviously we are expecting that out of ourselves too. So just trying to go out there. Prove to ourselves what we can do and make everybody proud.”
So what will it take for UTC to win the tournament for the first time since 2017.
Said Cornelius:”I think we have to go in knowing what brought us here, and kind of keeping that going, and just one game at a time. Everybody has to go win three games, so we’re in the same position as everyone.”
Said Poppie:”We keep talking about the little plays. Right. The little plays lead to the big outcomes. Are we offensive rebounding? Are we getting 50-50 balls. Those are the little things that keep energy alive when shots aren’t falling.”
Said Porter:”A lot of times going into games, we get too worried about what everybody is going to do to us. What are they going to do? Really as long as we are ourselves, I don’t think nobody can stop us if we just focus on us and make that a point.”

Mocs face Furman Thursday afternoon at 3:30 in Asheville, North Carolina.