UTC: Kayla Christopher taking aim at longer 3s

photo Lady Moc Kayla Christoper, left, runs a practice drill called "box out with pads," as manager Kiara Smith, right, forces the motion of the play.

In her two seasons at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, shooting guard Kayla Christopher has made 119 3-point baskets. She's already No. 8 on the Lady Mocs' all-time list for career 3s.

Starting with Friday night's season opener against UAB in the Preseason WNIT at McKenzie Arena, Christopher will begin adding to that total. She'll also be shooting from behind a new 3-point line.

The women's line is now the same as the men's -- 20 feet, 3 inches -- a foot farther away than the previous line. However, the old women's line remains on the court at the Roundhouse.

"The new 3-point line, that's a little tweak but not too much," Christopher said. "It was different at first and you get used to it, but you've got to be conscious of it because the old line is still there."

The junior from Oliver Springs hit 63 3s last season, and a similar number this season would vault her all the way up to fourth on the all-time list, behind third-place Jenaya Wade-Fray's 214. Brooke Hand holds the all-time record, which appears close to untouchable, of 315 career 3s.

An All-Southern Conference pick after last season and a preseason pick this season, Christopher said she isn't too concerned with her individual numbers.

"I just want to be consistent, that's the only thing," said Christopher, who averaged 11.6 points and hit 41.2 percent of her 3s last season.

In the Lady Mocs' one-in, four-out offensive system, players such as Christopher, Tenisha Townsend and Kylie Lambert need to hit 3s to open the middle for forward Whitney Hood. The Lady Mocs made just 33.1 percent of their 3 tries last season, when they went 17-14 and finished third in the SoCon.

"We've got to have some people step up on the perimeter and hit some shots," coach Wes Moore said. "We haven't really done that in our first two contests, a scrimmage and the exhibition game."

In the exhibition win over Lee, Christopher made three 3s, but as a team UTC was 4-for-18.

Christopher is a high-percentage 3-point shooter -- 41.5 percent for her career -- and Moore said he wants her to look for her shot more often. She attempted 153 3s last season.

"I don't want her to force things, but at the same time I've made it clear to her that every time she's got an open look, we need her to take it," Moore said, adding that he wants Lambert (who made 33 3s last season) to do that same.

Signing day today

Today is the start of the early signing period and UTC is expected to sign two guards.

UTC has commitments from shooting guard Tatianna Jackson of The Lovett School in Atlanta and point guard Alicia Payne of White Station High School in Memphis. Jackson is rated a four-star prospect by ESPN HoopGurlz, while Payne has a two-star rating.

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