UTC Women Win First Place Showdown Over Furman 62-54

(gomocs.com)  In a battle of the two top teams in the SoCon standings, Chattanooga visited Furman, starting the second half of conference play. Behind standout performances from Caia Elisaldez and Gianna Corbitt, who both had double-doubles, Chattanooga picked up a 62-54 win. It’s the first time Chattanooga has had a game with two doubles-doubles since January 21, 2021, against Samford. The win is Chattanooga’s 12th in a row, tying the longest win streak since the 2023-24 season.

Corbitt tied her career-high in scoring with 30 points while also securing 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the year. Corbitt was dialed in offensively, shooting 78.6% (11-14) from the field and holding a 75% (3-4) mark from three.

For Elisaldez’s double-double, the junior scored 13 points and dished out 11 assists, tying a career high. It’s her third double-double of the season and 13th game this year with five or more assists.

Chattanooga was 47% (22-47) shooting as a team while Furman was 33% (19-58) from the field. Chattanooga dominated the glass, outrebounding Furman 41-24. It’s the 14th game in a row the Mocs have won the rebound battle. 

Early on, it was the Corbitt show in Greenville. The sophomore scored the first six points of the game. Chattanooga’s defense was also putting on a show, holding the Paladins to just one made shot the entire quarter. A pair of lay-ups by Frode Flos van der Schans in the final two minutes, including one as the clock expired to put Chattanooga up 14-3. Three points is the fewest any team has scored in a quarter against the Mocs this year.

Furman had the opening basket of the second quarter, however, the Mocs responded, scoring seven of the next nine, capped off by a triple from Corbitt to put them ahead 21-8. A 3-pointer by Sarah Owona with three minutes left, gave Chattanooga a 15-point lead. However, the Paladins scored the final three points of the half to cut the Mocs lead to 30-18 at the break.

In the first half, Chattanooga held Furman to just 25% (7-28) shooting and a 13% (1-8) mark from three.

Chattanooga scored the first four points of the quarter, highlighted by a triple from Ava Card. Later on in the quarter, at the 4:51 mark, Izzy McPherson buried another 3-pointer for Chattanooga to put it up 43-26. The lead remained around 15 points, until a corner triple by Corbitt in the final few seconds put the Mocs up 50-32.

Corbitt scored again to open the fourth quarter, giving Chattanooga its biggest lead of the game at 20 points. The rest of the quarter proved to be a dog fight with Furman fighting hard to get back in the game. The lead remained double digits until a triple with eight seconds left by the Paladins resulted in the 62-54 final score.

Chattanooga moves to 65-32 all-time against Furman and has won nine of the last 10 games in the series, including the last four in Greenville.