UTC's Queen Alford nearing end of two-college standout career

UTC guard Queen Alford dribbles around Mercer guard Kahlia Lawrence during the Lady Mocs' home basketball game against the Mercer Bears at McKenzie Arena on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
UTC guard Queen Alford dribbles around Mercer guard Kahlia Lawrence during the Lady Mocs' home basketball game against the Mercer Bears at McKenzie Arena on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Growing up in Decatur, Ga., Queen Alford's early life seems similar to an episode of "Cheers."

"It was a small city where you could walk a lot of places," she said Monday. "It's so small that everyone knows each other, so the people you graduate with are the people you've known since kindergarten and pre-K."

Her journey to and with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has shown her unselfish nature as one of 10 children growing up.

She grew up playing basketball, with success always coming early. In eighth grade, she was playing on the high school junior varsity. By her freshman season, she was on the varsity, averaging nine points per game and earning all-region distinction. She topped 1,000 points by her junior season on her way to all-state honors, and she was her region's player of the year as a senior.

When she realized that basketball would be an avenue to pursue her dreams of becoming a lawyer, she started to look for places where that could be an option.

"I knew I couldn't afford to go to college," she said. "It was my dream to go and not pay anything, so I started to look at places where I could get the best education. I didn't want to go to a bigger school; I wanted smaller so I could comprehend what was going on."

After some time she chose to attend Jacksonville University in Florida, where in two seasons she was named Atlantic Sun freshman of the year and was a two-time second-team all-conference selection. But things were rocky there. Alford had two different head coaches during her time at Jacksonville, and she started looking for a place with more stability.

"I wanted a place where there weren't a lot of coaching changes," she said. "I wanted a place where there was a culture that everybody follows - a coach that is not a rookie and pretty much knows exactly what he's doing and what he wants for his program, not someone who is trying to build."

That place became UTC, under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Jim Foster. Alford enjoyed the individual accolades that came from her time at Jacksonville, but she really wanted to win. The Mocs did just that in her first season, claiming their fourth consecutive Southern Conference title and playing in the NCAA tournament. Alford, a natural scorer, averaged 10.9 points per game and again was a second-team all-conference selection.

"I changed schools to where would be a better fit for me," she said. "I wasn't immediately the best player, which I feel is going to help me for my future. There are a lot of things here that I feel will help me, and I appreciate everything about it."

She's 13 points away from scoring at least 600 points at both Jacksonville and UTC, and she has 1,311 collegiate points, which would place the 5-foot-10 guard 74 points away from 10th place all-time in UTC history had she spent the entirety of her career with the Mocs. She graduated last May with a degree in criminal justice and is pursuing a minor in political science.

Alford called the nearing end "bittersweet," pointing to experiences she's been able to have at the school. The team still has two more home games and the Soouthern Conference tournament and maybe the NCAA again, so even though she's ready for her next venture, she's still focused on the current on-court journey.

"I remember running around playing basketball in the house, and the whuppings we got," she said. "Now that I'm older, one thing I start to realize is that as a child this game can never get old. You can play it when you're bored, when you're stressed, when you're tired and when you're sleepy. If you love something, it'll never get old.

"So regardless of the adversity and challenges that you may embark upon, always remember that no one can take away the love you have for this game."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.

Upcoming Events