UTC Women Advance to the SoCon Finals

(soconsports.com) — Gianna Corbitt and Caia Elisaldez were dominant on Friday, powering No. 1 seed Chattanooga to a spot in the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game.

Corbitt, a sophomore forward, and Elisaldez, a junior point guard and the SoCon Player of the Year, scored 29 and 28 points, respectively, in a 76–65 semifinal win over No. 4 Furman at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville. Elisaldez’s 28 points marked a career high.

Corbitt, who scored 20 points in Thursday’s win over Western Carolina, shot 10‑of‑16 from the field and 5‑of‑10 from three‑point range. Her 11 made threes over the last two days leave her just one shy of the tournament record. She also led all players with 13 rebounds and four steals. Corbitt’s most productive stretch came in the third quarter, when she scored 13 points as the Mocs outscored the Paladins 29–23 to build a 62–46 lead.

Elisaldez, who entered the game averaging a team‑best 16 points per contest, scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including the final three of the game after Furman cut a 20‑point deficit (73–53) down to eight. She also added four assists.

For Furman, Clare Coyle scored 17 points and Alyssa Erwin added 15.

Chattanooga improved to 20–9 and will face

Samford in Sunday’s championship game at noon. The Mocs will be seeking their 21st SoCon title.