UTC’s Alex Black grabs the ball as UTK’s Andraya Carter approaches Friday at McKenzie Arena.
The first Tennessee women’s basketball game since 1974 without Pat Summitt on the bench most definitely did not go according to plan. It ended with about 150 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students rushing the McKenzie Arena court in celebration.
Playing in front of a spirited crowd Friday night, the Lady Mocs played aggressively, played with poise down the stretch and pulled off an 80-71 upset of No. 20 Tennessee, spoiling the start of the Holly Warlick era.
Wes Moore said his wife, Linda, told him before the game “not to embarrass the family.” He did not. Instead, his team earned a win that might be surpassed only by the Lady Mocs’ upset of Rutgers in the 2004 NCAA tournament.
“That’s what I told the team in the locker room: ‘You’ve done something you’ll never forget,'” Moore said, adding, “This is special and something that’s really good for our program.”
UTC forward Taylor Hall had perhaps the best game of her career, finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks. She went 9-for-12 from the field and didn’t have a turnover.