Did you know that in the history of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball program, only three individuals have scored 30 points or more in a game four times in their career? 

The first two are pretty obvious, just by looking at the top two scorers in the UTC record books.  2004 Hall of Fame inductee Regina Kirk (1984-88) did it a remarkable 13 times, while Class of 2009 honoree Kim Brown Suttles (1988-93) did it five times. 

You might have a hard time picking the third.

It wasn't two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year Alex Anderson (2005-08).  She only hit that number three times.  It wasn't 1993 Hall of Fame inductee Tina Chairs (1980-84).  Despite scoring over 1,900 points, she also only did it three times. 

The third person on that list is Julie Copeland Christian, a two-time All-Southern Conference guard from Norcross, Ga., who lit up opponents from 1988-91.  She topped 30 points in four games and is currently eighth on UTC's all-time scoring list with 1,406 career points. 

All four of those contests came during her junior season in 1989-90, when she averaged a career-best 19.2 points-per-game.  That number is still the eighth-best single-season average in school history. 

Her best effort came in an 82-62 win over Georgia State on Jan. 10, 1990.  She finished with 34 points on 16-25 shooting, including 2-5 from three-point range, adding seven boards and four steals in the win. 

Less than three weeks later, Copeland posted 30 points against Lincoln Memorial. She was 14-28 from the field and 2-3 from the foul line, while chipping in six assists and six boards.

Copeland had no love for Tennessee State in an 87-76 win on Valentine's Day.  She hit 12-14 from the field and 9-9 from the FT line in that win.  Her last 30-point game came on Feb. 25 in a 98-93 victory against Furman.  There she posted 33 points on 13-20 shooting and 6-6 from the FT line. 

"It is kind of surreal," when Copeland was asked about recalling some of her memories from her playing days at UTC.  "In the heat of the moment you just did what it took to win.  When you get this far removed and you look back at where some of the records are, it is pretty neat." 

Copeland went on to first-team All-Southern Conference honors as a junior, but it wasn't just her individual play that left a mark on the Mocs. 

As a sophomore, Copeland was a key piece of the 1989 Southern Conference Tournament champions that advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. 

"We knew it was the first time we were getting an automatic bid if we won the conference," said Copeland recently when talking about her playing days at UTC.  "That weighed heavy on our minds.   

"After we clinched it, we played Georgia in the first round.  We hung with them in the first half, but to make it to that stage and then play a school like Georgia was an amazing experience."

As a senior, she averaged 14.8 ppg and helped lead the Mocs to a 20-8 overall record, the second-best winning percentage at that point in women's basketball at UTC.  Chattanooga's 8-2 league record gave them the SoCon regular season title, before they lost by two (89-87) to Appalachian State in the SoCon Tournament. 

Like most Hall of Famers, Copeland is quick to mention her teammates when talking about her own success. 

"When I came in as a freshman, there were five of us," she added.  "Karen Beightol was a post, Nancy Smith was the point guard, Amy Wales was the two-guard and Janet Stallings was a four."

This group won 74 games during their four years at UTC, an outstanding accomplishment for one class at that point in the history of the program. 

"We were all able to grow together and we developed a chemistry, on and off the court," said Copeland.  "Most of us were roommates, so we basically lived together.  We played together, traveled together, ate together.  After you spend that much time with people and you learn how they operated, that chemistry is what really brought it all together."

Later this month, Copeland joins four other former Mocs from a variety of sports as the Class of 2017 UTC Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees.  She is a part of a group that goes back as far as 1968, and as recently as 1994. 

"Regardless of what year you graduated and how far removed you are from the program, you always feel like you are part of it," stated Copeland.  "I am glad that I had the opportunity to play there and get my education at UTC."

The ceremony is Friday, Feb. 24, at the Chattanooga Country Club.  The banquet is open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are required. The cost is $40.00 per person which includes dinner. Payments and RSVP's can be submitted to the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs at (423) 425-4785.  For more information, email Jayne-Holder@utc.edu.