UTC's Sydney Vanlandingham looks for an open teammate during the Mocs' 51-45 win against Samford this past Saturday at McKenzie Arena. The fifth-year senior is among the team's role players who have come through when needed this season.Everybody has a role on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team.
Some are larger than others, but each player is expected to be ready to contribute when needed. With Jim Foster coaching more by feel than to a set rotation, sometimes a player may go a game or two without hearing her number called.
Yet time and time again, the Mocs have answered.
Most recently it was sophomore Nakeia Burks, who played the final 13 minutes of UTC's 51-45 win over Samford on Saturday.
The 5-foot-10 guard finished with only one point, but she helped contain Bulldogs point guard Brittany Stevens. Burks' length in full-court pressure slowed down what was already a methodical Samford offense, and the Mocs outscored the Bulldogs 25-12 over the final 13:22.
"I just try to stay on top of what I can. Try to stay ready most everyday in practice," Burks said. "Coach talks about paying attention to detail, so I notice things and just try to make the team better."
Fifth-year senior Sydney Vanlandingham has had moments, with her best outing a seven-point, five-rebound performance against LaFayette on Nov. 19. Sophomore Ashlyn Wert played 21 minutes in the season opener and scored eight points.
"It's their job to be ready," Foster said earlier this week. "That doesn't guarantee the opportunity is going to be there, but if there's an urgency, then you need to be there and understand what your job is in the framework of what's needed at that time. So if we need you to plug a hole, or guard like crazy and rebound, don't go out there and try to score the first two times you catch the ball. That'll come - just know your job and do it.
"If you watch the game and you listen through the course of practice, you should be ready."
Vanlandingham said not always knowing when your time is coming causes all the players to be accountable. Anybody's number could be called tonight when the Mocs (14-9) try to improve to 9-1 in the Southern Conference at East Tennessee State (14-10, 6-3), but as Foster said, it's the team's job to be ready.
"We have a really deep bench," Vanlandingham said. "Everyone gets an opportunity at some point, and you love to see your teammates go in and succeed, because we all long to contribute to this program and the success of it. So when we see someone who doesn't get the opportunity as much as someone else get in and they use it well, you're excited for your teammate and it brings energy and accountability to the bench.
"It's an awesome thing to have the situation we have. Everyone on this team can contribute, because we see it in practice every day. We know what each other is capable of, so when someone gets out there and is able to exhibit that on the court in a game situation, you love that."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.