WBK: Chattanooga, ETSU advance to semifinals

No. 1 Chattanooga 66, No. 8 Western Carolina 47

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Top‑seeded Chattanooga returned to form with a 66–47 win over No. 8 Western Carolina in the opening game of the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville.

The Mocs (19–9) had dropped their final two regular‑season games to fall into a three‑way tie with Wofford and ETSU for the league title, but they responded with a strong performance against the Catamounts.

Forward Gianna Corbitt led Chattanooga’s perimeter attack, as the Mocs connected on 13 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc. Corbitt, named to the SoCon All‑Defensive Team earlier in the week, hit four 3‑pointers in the first quarter and scored 14 points in the opening frame to help Chattanooga build a 19–11 lead.

Western Carolina tightened its defense early in the second quarter, outscoring the Mocs 6–2 to pull within 21–15. Chattanooga answered with 3‑pointers from Corbitt, Kalifa Ford, and Sarah Owona to take a 30–19 lead into halftime.

The Mocs erupted for 25 points in the third quarter. While Corbitt was held scoreless in the period, Ford knocked down two of the team’s four 3‑pointers as Chattanooga extended its lead to 55–33.

Corbitt finished 6‑of‑9 from long range and scored a game‑high 20 points, coming within one make of tying the tournament record of seven 3‑pointers, shared by four players.

Things to know

Caia Elisaldez, the SoCon Player of the Year, scored five points on 2‑of‑5 shooting and added three assists.

Chattanooga recorded 18 assists against 11 turnovers; Western Carolina had 19 turnovers and eight assists.

Western Carolina’s last SoCon Tournament win came in 2014, when the Catamounts advanced to the semifinals.

Ford and Ava Card scored 11 points each for Chattanooga. Ally Hollifield and Grace Park led WCU with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

No. 2 ETSU 62, No. 7 UNCG 50

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — No. 2 seed ETSU used its best 3‑point shooting performance of the season to defeat No. 7 seed and defending champion UNCG, 62–50, in Thursday afternoon’s quarterfinal at Harrah’s Cherokee Center–Asheville.

The Buccaneers (18–12) made a season‑high 11 3‑pointers and shot a season‑best 50 percent (11‑of‑22) from beyond the arc. Their perimeter accuracy outpaced their two‑point shooting, as ETSU went 10‑of‑37 (27 percent) inside the arc. The Bucs finished 21‑of‑59 overall (36 percent), while UNCG (14–16) shot 21‑of‑60 (35 percent).

Freshman guard Emmah McAmis came off the bench to score a career‑high 12 points on 4‑of‑6 shooting, including a perfect 3‑for‑3 from long range. Sophomore guard Carmen Richardson led ETSU with 14 points, and Daniela López added 11 points with three 3‑pointers. Makiah Asidanya led UNCG with 15 points.

ETSU overcame a difficult start to take a 32–26 halftime lead. The Bucs missed their first 11 field‑goal attempts as UNCG opened with a 12–0 run, but McAmis entered and immediately sparked the offense with three baskets, including two 3‑pointers, to cut the deficit to 14–8.

Richardson and López each hit a 3‑pointer as ETSU tied the game at 14–14 to end the first quarter. UNCG briefly regained the lead early in the second, but the Bucs responded with a 29–21 advantage after back‑to‑back 3‑pointers from reserve guard Lucy Hood, prompting a Spartans timeout with 1:39 left in the half.

After halftime, McAmis hit another 3‑pointer to ignite a 13–5 run, giving ETSU a 49–38 lead entering the fourth quarter. UNCG pulled within 53–48 midway through the final period, but the Bucs answered with a 9–0 run, capped by five straight points from López, to push the lead to 62–48 with under two minutes remaining.

Things to know

Senior guard Anala Nelson scored four points for ETSU, reaching 1,000 career points.

Head coach Brenda Mock Brown advanced to the SoCon semifinals for the second time in her four seasons at ETSU. She previously led UNC Asheville to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017.

UNCG will miss the semifinals for the first time since 2022. The Spartans finished second in 2024 before winning last year’s championship in overtime against Chattanooga.