Wiedmer: Women Mocs cap UTC's tremendous sports week

photo UTC players celebrate following their 67-63 win over the Lady Vols at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga on Wednesday.
Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Arguably the biggest upset in school history just completed with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's women's basketball victory over Tennessee's No. 4 Lady Vols on Wednesday night, former UTC chancellor Dr. Fred Obear swiftly sought out current chancellor Steve Angle.

Said Obear: "I just told him, 'Steve, you've had one incredible week.'"

With the football team receiving a playoff bye Sunday morning for the upcoming NCAA playoffs, with the Mocs women knocking off the Lady Vols inside McKenzie Arena for the second straight visit here, with the nationally ranked wrestling Mocs recently winning the prestigious Navy Classic, and the men Mocs rocking Robert Morris earlier Wednesday, it might be tough to find a more incredible athletics week in school history.

But could it be seen as too good, especially by the Lady Vols? Could Tennessee coach Holly Warlick, who lost her first-ever game as head coach to the Mocs two years ago, decide enough is too much? Certainly no more games against UTC at McKenzie. Possibly no games period?

At what point does embarrassment engulf Big Orange Nation? At what point do Warlick, Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart or both decide it's too high a risk for so little reward?

Lifelong local supporters of women's basketball such as Grace Keith, a rabid fan of both teams, understandably might believe that such a game "makes both programs stronger," but should such a loss cost the Lady Vols a seeding rung come tournament time -- dropping them from a No. 1 to a No. 2, for instance -- one could see a concrete reason to steer clear of the Mocs, at least in McKenzie.

Yet Warlick wasted little time late Wednesday evening shredding that theory.

"Absolutely not," the coach said emphatically when asked if she may have had enough of the Mocs. "We love playing Chattanooga. Great opponent. Great environment. We're not going to shy away from competition just because we didn't win this game."

Good.

Great.

No, better than great. Or to quote Mary Poppins: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Certainly it would have been better if more than 4,160 had shown up for the 67-63 Mocs win, especially since close to half wore UT orange. But that's hopefully more because of scheduling this game on the night before Thanksgiving rather than a general lack of interest in women's hoops.

Nevertheless, the game itself was great. A 16-point UTC halftime lead. A stirring comeback by the Lady Vols that tied the game once, then found them with the ball, down one and driving for the layup to own the lead inside the final minute before ... before ... before (Oh, my!!!) Mocs freshman Keiana Gilbert blocked the shot and pretty much cemented the most jaw-dropping rookie performance in school history -- 27 points, five rebounds, a steal and that block.

"We just had to go out and act like Tennessee was any other team," Gilbert said afterward with a shrug.

And how many times has that worked?

But it wasn't just the game itself.

Here was UTC coach Jim Foster, as only Foster can, discussing a fine Opus cabernet when asked how he might celebrate this win.

Here was Buck Schimpf, one of this town's most rabid, loyal Volniacs, wearing a UTC blue and gold sweater, his explanation for shunning his much-favored orange wardrobe: "Not when you live next door to Jim Foster. He'd kill me."

If there was a single awkward moment, it came after UTC fifth-year senior Destiny Bramblett said Foster had told them the Lady Vols were "average."

Bristled Foster, somewhat stunned at this revelation: "What I said was, 'If you make them play defense for 25 seconds (a possession), you can make them average.' Sometimes kids hear what they want to hear."

And sometimes players tell you what you need to hear -- the truth rather than the hype, the spin, the excuse.

"Two great teams playing hard for their universities," said Lady Vols senior point guard Ariel Massengale. "Tonight UTC just got the best of us."

Sometimes it's just that simple. And thanks to the apparent graciousness and sportsmanship of Warlick and the UT athletic department, UTC should get a chance for a three-peat in McKenzie two or three years from now, this budding rivalry a picture most perfect of college athletics at its best.

Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.

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