UTC women's basketball team earns national honors

Jasmine Joyner

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team continues to get attention for its impressive start to the 2014-15 season.

Several awards and recognitions rolled in Monday for coach Jim Foster's Mocs (9-3), who are on a five-game win streak and have wins over then-No. 4 Tennessee and then-No. 7 Stanford as the nonconference portion of the season winds down.

UTC sophomore post player Jasmine Joyner was named national mid-major player of the week by College Sports Madness, the second time this season that a Mocs player has earned this award. Joyner had double-digit rebounds in all three games for the week ending Sunday, and she had double-doubles in wins over Morgan State and North Carolina A&T in the inaugural Chattanooga Christmas Classic.

In UTC's other win last week, Wednesday's 54-46 upset of Stanford, the 6-foot-2 forward from Southaven, Miss., just missed a double-double with 11 rebounds, nine points and five blocked shots. In the three games last week, Joyner totaled 33 points, 36 rebounds, 17 blocks and five steals.

Teammate Keiana Gilbert earned the College Sports Madness award last month following the Mocs' win over Tennessee, and former UTC player Taylor Hall won the award two seasons ago following UTC's win over Tennessee in the opening game of the 2012-13 season.

Also Monday, UTC was named national Division I team of the week by the NCAA in recognition of the Stanford win, the current winning streak and the Mocs' dominance at home. They have won 45 of their last 46 games at McKenzie Arena.

Finally, UTC received 11 points in The Associated Press women's Top 25 released Monday, which would put it five spots outside of making the Top 25 and within 25 points of No. 25 Arizona State.

More rankings recognition is likely to come today for the Mocs when the USA Today coaches' poll and the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 are announced. UTC was ranked No. 4 in last week's mid-major poll, behind James Madison, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Princeton.

The Mocs are taking a three-day break but will return to campus on Christmas Day to begin preparations for the Texas-San Antonio Holiday Classic. UTC will play SIU Edwardsville on Sunday and South Dakota on Monday.

Contact Jim Tanner at jtanner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6478. Follow him at twitter.com/JFTanner.