UConn All-Americans Moriah Jefferson (4) and Breanna Stewart (30)
photo by Dennis Norwood
UTC Drummers entertain before th UConn-UTC game Monday at McKenzie Arena
photo by Dale Rutemeyer
Old Friends Meet Before the Game: UTC coach Jim Foster (left) and UConn coach Geno Auriemma talk before the game Monday at McKenzie Arena before 6,104
photo by Dale Rutemeyer
UConn coach Geno Auriemma talks with the large gathering of media after the Huskies defeated UTC, 79-31, Monday
photo by Dale Rutemeyer
UTC's Moses Johnson (23) guards UConn's Saniya Chong
photo by M.A. Locke
UTC's Jas Joyner (left) and Sydney Vanlandingham (21) guard UConn's Gabby Williams
photo by M.A. Locke
UTC students cheering on the Mocs
photo by M.A. Locke
If anyone doubts whether a home schooled graduate can succeed in college basketball look no further than UConn senior Moriah Jefferson.
The 5-7 senior All-American guard scored a game-high 15 points along with four assists and four steals Monday night in a 79-31 win against UTC at McKenzie Arena before 6,104 fans.
She is averaging just over 12 points a game on the season and was selected as the nation’s top point guard as a junior.
“I was home-schooled from day one all the way through high school which I enjoyed,” said Jefferson after Monday’s game.
“Not being in a regular classroom setting makes you be very disciplined with your schedule to get your homework done on time.”
The Glen Heights, Texas native was so disciplined that she found time to attend junior college classes in the ninth grade to get some basic college courses out of the way and have a feel for the classroom setting.
“I knew I would play basketball in college and I wanted to be comfortable in the classroom setting before I went to a four year college.’
A USA Today, McDonald’s and Parade All-American as a senior in 2012, she was also disciplined in her basketball growing up as she was a member of five-time National Christian HomeSchool Basketball Champions (NCHBC) and had 3,354 career points, 825 rebounds and 728 steals.
She hopes to graduate in May with four NCAA championships for a total of nine national championships since the eighth grade.
Moc Maniac - Rossville High School grad (1978) Dewayne Gass and former UTC men’s basketball coach Mac McCarthy started Moc Maniac 30 years ago to create some excitement at the men’s and women’s home games and some football game…
Coach McCarthy’s wife, Jean, started the Sugar Mocs the same year.
“I do my part to bring some excitement to the home games and hopefully can get the crowd going,” said Gass who has only missed six home men’s games in 30 years.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net