Alicia “Red” Payne didn’t come to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as a lone ranger.
She’s just sort of ended up that way.
The 5-foot-9 point guard will celebrate her senior day this afternoon when the Mocs host East Tennessee State at 2 in the first game of a Southern Conference doubleheader. It also is Military Appreciation Day at McKenzie Arena. All military personnel and first responders (active or retired) will have free entry for them and their immediate families with valid identification.
Payne’s scoring average has improved from 1.4 points per game as a freshman to 6.3 this year, as she has been asked to be a larger part of the offense. She has still been a big part of the other end, as the 2014-15 Southern Conference defensive player of the year still hounds opposing guards for 94 feet.
“She has become a smarter player offensively and defensively, but she is still working on the defensive part of it,” UTC coach Jim Foster said. “She does a very good job of managing the game from an offensive perspective, and she can be a real pain in the neck in the defensive area.