University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball coach Jim Foster watched his players as they drilled defensive execution Tuesday at the Chattem Practice Facility.
For the Mocs to win Friday afternoon against Mississippi State in the first round of the NCAA tournament’s Bridgeport Regional, they will have to be solid in that aspect.
Guard Victoria Vivians leads fifth-seeded Mississippi State’s attack. The 6-foot-1 sophomore averaged 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds for the 26-7 Bulldogs, leading the team in scoring by more than seven points per game on average.
“I heard she’s a great player,” said UTC guard Alicia Payne, who could draw the tough defensive assignment. “I don’t know if I’ll guard her, but whoever does, I hope we make every shot tough. We have to make sure she doesn’t go off like she usually does.”
Vivians’ teammates seem to feed off her ability to make plays, using penetration by Vivians and point guard Morgan William, who averages more than five assists per game.
Foster said that the teams closest to the Bulldogs’ athleticism and style of play on UTC’s schedule were Arkansas State and Southern Miss. The Mocs (24-7) won those games at home early in the season, but that UTC lineup was nowhere near as good as the current group, two months removed.
When asked Tuesday how bad today’s UTC team would beat the one from December, Foster said “significantly.”
Players such as Payne and center Jasmine Joyner have made significant strides offensively to go along with their ability to be effective and sometimes dominant on defense. Foster said Joyner’s offense has started to cause matchup problems for opponents.
“She’s not like a traditional SEC low-block only player,” Foster said. “She can play away from the basket. She’s good with her passing and can hit cutters, which is a little more difficult.
“I think they’re going to have to adjust to her.”
But this team has made its name on the defensive end of the court, allowing only 52.6 points per game, which ranks 12th in the country. The Mocs have thrived off rejections – their average of 6.5 blocks per game lead the nation.
Joyner’s 4.0 per game individually also leads the NCAA.
“Our entire team thrives off defense,” UTC forward Moses Johnson said. “Offense wins games, but defense wins championships and will give us opportunities to score on offense.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.