UTC Mocs logoAryanna Gilbert admitted she was “caught off guard” when University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head women’s basketball coach Jim Foster inserted her into the starting lineup prior to the Dec. 10 game against Jacksonville State. Five games later, she’s still there and seems to feel a lot more comfortable in that position.
The 5-foot-9 freshman forward and the Mocs will play their first game of the new year tonight, when they resume Southern Conference action against Georgia Southern (3-10, 1-1) at 7 in McKenzie Arena. It marks the first home game the team has had since Nov. 24 — a span of 40 days.
UTC (10-3, 2-0) has the nation’s second-longest home court win streak at 30 games — behind only Baylor, whose streak now stands at 67 consecutive victories.
“A long time ago,” Foster said when asked about the team’s last home game, an 80-52 defeat of Auburn. “The schedule is what it is.”
The early part of the season, Foster spent a lot of time experimenting with lineups and rotations. Gilbert didn’t even play in four of the first six games, yet found herself starting the fourth game of the team’s eight-game road trip and has starting to grow into her role. She’s averaged six points and two rebounds per game since entering the starting lineup, and for the season leads the team in shooting percentage at 62.5 percent.