The odds have to be enormous. A men’s and women’s basketball team from the same mid-major university both playing on the road on the same night against opponents ranked No. 4 nationally? You’re more likely to get struck by lightning and bitten by a shark on your way to buying the winning Powerball ticket at the neighborhood Handy Andy.
Yet that’s just what happened to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s and women’s Mocs on Monday night.
The men lost for the first time this season at Iowa State, the No. 4 Cyclones overwhelming them 83-63. The UTC women – in what might be the most pride-producing loss of coach Jim Foster’s Hall of Fame career – spotted big sister Tennessee a 26-7 lead after one quarter, fell behind by as much as 23, then lost by two, yes TWO, 59-57.
And for all those Volniacs out there who want to say that it was five points until a meaningless 3-pointer inside the final three seconds, well, UTC had closed to within 53-51 with 2:49 to go.
Not that Foster’s ever been into moral victories. Especially not with his close friend Geno Auriemma about to bring the top-ranked, three-time defending national champion UConn Huskies to McKenzie Arena on Monday night.