The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team has received a commitment from point guard Alicia Payne of Memphis.
With only two seniors on the roster, the Lady Mocs likely will have room to sign only three players in November. One of those, Appalachian State transfer Ashlen Dewart, already is on campus.
A 5-foot-7 standout at White Station High School, Payne is rated a three-star prospect by ESPN HoopGurlz. She said she chose UTC over East Tennessee State and Troy, among others.
“I just like the school, and after researching the other schools I was interested in, I felt like it would be the best fit for me,” said Payne, who averaged nearly four assists and more than three steals a game last season for White Station, which went 25-3 in the regular season.
“They have a great program, the school’s not too big and not too small and it’s not that far away from home. But it’s also far enough that I can be on my own.”
UTC landed another Memphis point guard two years ago in Alex Black, who played in 23 games as a freshman last season. The Lady Mocs are conducting individual workouts and will begin practice in early October.