Chattanooga-(WDEF) After missing out on the NCAA tournament the last two years, the Lady Mocs are ready to get a taste of March Madness again. They jump into action on Saturday night against Nebraska.
The journey to the Big Dance never gets old for head coach Wes Moore, but the anxiety does. Said Moore,"Conference tournament for me is not a whole lot of fun. Everybody expects you to win. It's not that easy. You look at how many teams win the regular season, and then get beat in their conference tournament. Shows you it's not easy."
Now Moore feels like he's playing with house money against Nebraska. "We're the underdog now. We get to chase instead of being chased."
Senior guard Kayla Christopher doesn't feel any pressure, at least when it comes to the tournament itself. "They basically treat you like a princess while you are there. It's really cool."
But the Lady Mocs realize they won't get the royal treatment from Nebraska. Said guard Kylie Lambert, "The concerns we have are the height advantage they have compared to us." Added forward Taylor Hall,"It's just kind of different going up against an opponent we don't know because we have been used to playing teams the third time now that it's tournament time, so that will be a challenge."
Chattanooga will carry a 19 game winning streak into their tournament opener. Said Moore,"I want them to be aware of the tradition here. I want them to be aware of what's possible."
UTC can seize the moment by making some shots. Said Moore,"Hopefully we can shoot the ball better than we did in Asheville, and have a great game."
Tipoff from College Station, Texas is set for 6:30pm on Saturday.
