he University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Jim Foster was selected Southern Conference women’s basketball coach of the year in voting by both the league’s coaches and the media.
Foster, in his second season at UTC, guided the Mocs to a perfect 14-0 SoCon record, a 26-3 overall record and wins over two Top 10 teams. They are ranked No. 17 in the latest Associated Press women’s Top 25.
UTC is on a 22-game winning streak entering postseason play and has wins over Stanford and Tennessee this season.
Also, UTC sophomores Jasmine Joyner and Chelsey Shumpert were first-team All-SoCon selections while Keiana Gilbert was named to the all-freshman team by both the media and coaches.
Joyner set a SoCon record with 118 blocked shots this season, and she is ranked fifth in the nation at 4.1 blocks per game. Shumpert leads the Mocs in scoring with 11.7 points per game, is ranked No. 3 in the league in made 3-pointers with 2.1 per game and shoots 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Gilbert had a strong debut season, leading the Mocs with 27 points in their November win over then-No. 4 Tennessee, and earning several weekly honors during the season — inlcuding being named ESPNW’s national player of the week.
In the coaches’ balloting, UTC junior Alicia “Red” Payne was named defensive player of the year, and senior Kayla Freeman was awarded the Ann Lashley Inspiration Award
Freeman was honored for staying with the Mocs as a student-coach after a career-ending injury to her left foot at the start of her junior season. The Lashley award honors a student-athlete or coach who has shown outstanding courage or service.
Payne is the defensive star on a team that is ranked No. 3 nationally in allowing opponents to score an average of 50.3 points per game. She leads the SoCon with a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio and has made 53 steals this season, including 35 in league play.
SoCon newcomer Mercer swept the top-player honors with Precious Bridges voted player of the year and teammate Kahlia Lawrence chosen freshman of the year.
The Mocs will play Thursday at noon at the SoCon tournament in Asheville, N.C., against UNC Greensboro.
18th in coaches’ poll
UTC is in the USA Today women’s Top 25 for a third consecutive week, moving up one spot to No. 18 in Tuesday’s poll of selected NCAA Division I coaches.
Last week, the Mocs were tied at No. 19 with Stanford, which fell to No. 20, and also jumped ahead of Rutgers, which dropped to No. 22.
Courtesy of: Jim Tanner at timesfreepress.com