Senior Alicia Payne leads UTC women into basketball practice

UTC guard Alicia "Red" Payne, shown looking to pass against East Tennessee State during the Southern Conference tournament last March, is the lone senior for the Mocs as they begin practice for the 2015-16 season today. UTC guard Alicia "Red" Payne, shown looking to pass against East Tennessee State during the Southern Conference tournament last March, is the lone senior for the Mocs as they begin practice for the 2015-16 season today.

By Gene Henley October 4, 2015 3 min read

With very little turnover, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team will look very similar to how it looked last season.

The Mocs’ games will not, however.

Coach Jim Foster’s Mocs, who start practice for the 2015-16 season this afternoon, spent most of last season in the Top 25, headlined by wins over then top-10 opponents Tennessee and Stanford. They finished 29-4 for the third consecutive season, and while losing Ka’Vonne Towns and Destiny Bramblett to graduation, they seem to have restocked.

UTC’s season opener is Nov. 13 at home against McNeese State in the first round of the Women’s Preseason National Invitation Tournament, and when the teams step on the court, it will be under the new four-quarter format introduced by the NCAA this season.

Games will be played at a faster pace, which has been welcomed with open arms by the Mocs.