They've really come up from being nobody to being somebody being ranked 17th."
While there's the matter of a first-round game to be dealt with in the NCAA women's tournament, the possibility of a big matchup is on the horizon for the No. 17 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team.
The Mocs received a No. 7 seed -- the school's highest ever in an NCAA tournament -- in the Spokane Regional.
UTC will play Saturday at 11 a.m. against 10th-seeded Pittsburgh at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. If UTC advances to the second round, it is likely to face No. 2 seed Tennessee in a rematch of the Mocs' 67-63 upset win Nov. 26 at McKenzie Arena.
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UTC Mocs women's basketball team heads to NCAA tournament as No. 7 seed
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Mocs at Knoxville* Game time/place: 11 a.m. Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville * Opponent: 10th-seeded Pittsburgh, which finished seventh in the ACC and has an overall record of 19-11 this season. If UTC wins: A first-round win sets up a potential blockbuster game against Tennessee, which lost to the Mocs earlier this season.
The Lady Vols will face 15th seed Boise State at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Angie Moyers was one of the many fans at the packed Jefferson's restaurant Monday night waiting to see where the Mocs would be heading in the NCAA tournament, and she was excited at how far the program has come this year.
"They've really come up from being nobody to being somebody being ranked 17th," she said before the tournament matchup was announced. "I hope they get a decent [pairing] against a good team. [Coach] Jim Foster's done a great job."
UTC has a 29-3 record this season, with wins over Tennessee and Stanford -- both of which were ranked in the Top 10. The Mocs are riding a 25-game winning streak and finished unbeaten in Southern Conference play for the second consecutive season.
The success brought out the fans Monday night, with every chair at Jefferson's filled and many more standing to watch the selection show on ESPN.
"It's extremely gratifying," UTC Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director David Blackburn said. "The support's been here for years, but with what this particular team has done and what Jim and his staff have done it's good to see people come out and appreciate that.
"And [the fans] are a part of it, too. They've helped build this program over the years."
With the first-round game less than two hours away by car, many of those fans can make the trip to see if the Mocs can keep up their amazing run of success.
"We're basically at home," UTC senior forward Destiny Bramblett said. "It's our sister school, so we may as well just go up there with everybody -- the whole city.
"A 7 seed is not too bad. ... We just need to keep it rolling and get some wins in the tournament."
Contact Jim Tanner at jtanner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6478. Follow him at twitter.com/JFTanner.