Looking for a way to "jump-start" the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team, which has been lethargic and sluggish at times throughout the season, coach Wes Moore tweaked the defense last month.
Instead of the Lady Mocs setting up in their usual man-to-man defense, waiting for the opponent to initiate the action, Moore has them playing an aggressive man-to-man. The Lady Mocs are going after the ball, jumping into passing lanes and wreaking more havoc than they have all season.
They're 17-6 with 12 wins in a row and leading the Southern Conference at 12-2 going into today's game at Georgia Southern (13-9, 8-5).
"We have been dead last in steals in the conference this year, and we're digging our way out now," Moore said. "I think it's more fun to watch, too, because early in the year we just kind of lulled people to sleep."
After not getting a steal in its 68-66 win at Western Carolina on Jan. 16, UTC was averaging only 6.3 a game. In the four games since, following the defensive switch, the Lady Mocs have averaged 12.5 steals a game, raising their season average to 7.3 -- second-to-last in the SoCon.
Guard Jenaya Wade-Fray, one of the league's most athletic players, has averaged 3.3 steals in the last four games -- two steals above her season average. And many of those takeaways have led to layups in transition.
"We're trying to bring energy by getting a few steals and getting into the game," she said. "It's a lot more fun."
Forward Megan Rollins also has been effective since the switch. Eight of her 23 steals this season have come in the last four games, including three in UTC's 82-63 win over UNC Greensboro last Monday. Even when she wasn't coming away with the ball, she was getting into the passing lanes and deflecting passes.
"Megan did a great job in that game of rotating to the open person," Moore said. "We'd maybe have somebody doubled, which leaves one person open, and she'd always rotate to that person and take away the obvious pass. I thought that was definitely one of Megan's best games."
The Lady Mocs have six regular-season games remaining and a tenuous hold on first place in the SoCon standings. Despite having lost just one game since November, they lead the College of Charleston (Monday's opponent) by only one game. And five of UTC's final six games are against teams in the top six in the standings.