Jim Foster stumbled onto something in his University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team’s two-point loss to Tennessee, the fourth-ranked team in the nation.
Maybe even a couple of things.
His Mocs trailed 26-7 after a period of play Monday. They were down as many as 23 points in the second quarter and fans already were starting to gloat in the Lady Vols’ dominance of UTC when the Mocs switched to a 2-3 zone defense in an attempt to slow the pace of play.
The plan worked, as Tennessee scored only 23 points over the final 24:47 of the game. The Mocs scored 44, but it wasn’t enough in a 59-57 final at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Mocs (3-2) have a quick turnaround, as they face Arkansas State (3-0) tonight at McKenzie Arena at 6:30. The Lady Red Wolves defeated the Mocs 57-52 in Jonesboro, Ark., last season.