UTC’s Raven Thompson Named SoCon Freshman of the Year
(gomocs.com) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — University of Tennessee at Chattanooga forward Raven Thompson was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the year the league office announced today. Thomp;son and Yazz Wazeerud-Din were named All-Conference.
Thompson led Chattanooga from the free throw line in her freshman campaign and was second on the team in scoring, third in rebounding. She recorded a pair of double-doubles, scored in double figures 21 times and topped the 20-point mark seven times. She had a career-best 23 points in five different games.
She was the top freshman in the SoCon in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage She ranked seventh overall in the league in scoring with 14.6 points per game, ninth in rebounding with 6.3 per game and was third in field goal percentage making 53.2 percent of her attemtps.
The Atlanta, Ga., native led the league in free throw shooting, setting a UTC freshman record with 128. She ranks fourth among freshmen in the nation for free throws made and attempted.
Thompson is the fifth Chattanooga player named SoCon Freshman of the Year and the first since Eboni Williams in 2018-19.
The rookie was named to the SoCon Coaches and SCSMA All-Conference Second Team, the first UTC freshman to be named all-conference since Regina Kirk (1984-85).
Wazeerud-Din comes to Chattanooga, an already decorated athlete. She was an NJCAA All-America Honorable Mention at South Georgia Technical College and was an all-conference and all-tournament selection. In her two years at Stetson, she led the Hatters in scoring and was a two-time All-Conference Second Team selection.
She was named to the SoCon’s First Team by the league coaches and media as the Mocs top scorer and led UTC from the 3-point line. She scored in double digits in 26 of the Mocs 29 games and topped the 20-point mark nine times including a season-high 25 points to lead UTC past Tennessee State. She dropped in a season-high five 3-pointers against the Tigers and lead Chattanooga with 68 from beyond the arc.
Wazeerud-Din is third in the SoCon in scoring, second in 3-point field goals made and second in minutes played. She ranks 53rd in the nation in 3-pointers made and 94th in points scored.
In the SoCon Coaches’ Poll, Wofford’s Rachael Rose was named the SoCon Player of the Year. Mercer’s Summah Evans was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Brenda Mock Brown in her first season at ETSU, was named the SoCon Coach of the Year.
Coaches All-Southern Conference Women’s Basketball TeamsPlayer of the YearRachael Rose, So., G, Wofford Freshman of the YearRaven Thompson, F, Chattanooga Defensive Player of the YearSummah Evans, Jr., F, Mercer Coach of the YearBrenda Mock Brown, ETSU Ann Lashley Inspiration Award WinnerKyla Allison, Gr., G, Western Carolina
First teamJiselle Thomas, Gr., ETSU
Amoria Neal-Tysor, Gr., Mercer
Andrea Bailey, Sr., Samford
Yazz Wazeerud-Din, Gr., Chattanooga
Rachael Rose, So., WoffordSecond teamKendall Folley, So., ETSU
Grace van Rij, Gr., FurmanRaven Thompson, Fr., ChattanoogaKyla Allison, Gr., Western Carolina
Jackie Carman, 5th, WoffordAll-defensive teamKendall Folley, So., ETSU
Summah Evans, Jr., MercerKhalis Cain, Jr., UNCG
Andrea Bailey, Sr., Samford
Helen Matthews, Jr., Wofford All-freshman teamJaelyn Acker, FurmanEnjulina Gonzalez, MercerRaven Thompson, ChattanoogaCarly Heidger, SamfordMasyn Marchbanks, Samford
SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) All-Southern Conference Women’s Basketball TeamsPlayer of the YearAndrea Bailey, Sr., G, Samford Freshman of the YearRaven Thompson, F, ChattanoogaCoach of the YearJimmy Garrity, Wofford First teamJiselle Thomas, Gr., ETSU
Amoria Neal-Tysor, Gr., Mercer
Andrea Bailey, Sr., Samford
Yazz Wazeerud-Din, Gr., Chattanooga
Rachael Rose, So., WoffordSecond teamKendall Folley, So., ETSU
Grace van Rij, Gr., Furman
Akira Wiggins, Gr., UNCGRaven Thompson, Fr., Chattanooga
Jackie Carman, 5th, WoffordThird teamErin Houpt, G, Mercer
Khalis Cain, UNCG
Sussy Ngulefac, So., SamfordKyla Allison, Gr., Western CarolinaLilly Hatton, Sr., Wofford
All-freshman teamJournee McDaniel, ETSU
Jaelyn Acker, Furman
Enjulina Gonzalez, Mercer
Raven Thompson, Chattanooga
Masyn Marchbanks, Samford
