It’s almost a given at this point that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team can be counted on to defend well and that sophomore point guard Caia Elisaldez will top the list of scorers for the Mocs.
In Saturday’s game at East Tennessee State University, it was in the fourth quarter when those two reliable factors for UTC showed up most.
With the Mocs clamping down and Elisaldez stepping up, UTC outscored the Buccaneers 17-8 in the final period at Brooks Gym to rally for a 51-46 win in Johnson City.
Elisaldez picked up 12 of her 22 points in the final 10 minutes, including some key free throws down the stretch, as she raised her average to 13.8 points per game and led the Mocs in scoring for the 12th time this season and the eighth outing in a row.
“Just knew that I had to do whatever I needed to do for my team, which in this case was sink those free throws,” said Elisaldez, who finished 6-for-6 at the foul line. “That’s all that matters, is doing whatever they need me to do.”