Vanlandingham still seeking ‘that game’

“That game” is still out there for Sydney Vanlandingham.

It may come Thursday against Furman, or maybe Saturday in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team’s home finale against Wofford. Maybe it will come in the Southern Conference tournament next week or in some sort of postseason tournament — NCAA or otherwise.

But it very easily could come for the 5-foot-11 senior.

She’s averaged two points per game this season, which actually signifies a career high. She’s been in a tough position of backing up SoCon player of the year candidate Jasmine Joyner, a two-time first-team all-conference selection who is averaging a double-double and rarely faces foul trouble. That has hurt Vanlandingham’s minutes, although not her confidence.

“It’s not how I would paint the ending of my career, but I know it’s not done yet,” she said Monday. “I hold onto that; I know something great will come from this — on or off the court, I know there’s a work being done, whether I can see it or not. It’s been slightly disappointing if I’m being honest, but I know something good is going to come out of it.”

Vanlandingham, who attends Brainerd Baptist Church and is very strong in her faith, understands tough times. Her father Larry had two military tours in Iraq, the first when she was about 8 years old. He was deployed in Iraq for about six months during Sydney’s second-grade year, then later had another, shorter deployment.

“At that age, I didn’t understand the seriousness of what was going on,” she said. “I remember being devastated, remember dropping him off and crying coming home, upset that I wasn’t going to see Daddy tomorrow, but my best memory … was when he came home.”

She remembers taking off running in an area that she wasn’t allowed to be in, getting in trouble with authorities.

Always one of the better athletes, Vanlandingham was a part of a Wilson Central program that produced a number of high-level college basketball players. She signed with UT-Martin out of high school, spending a season there before deciding to step away from basketball entirely. She transferred to UTC to become a regular student and coach at Hixson.

Mocs assistant coach Katie Burrows saw her in the intramural championship game, recognized her and started the process to get her back on an NCAA Division I team.

There have been good memories. The wins over Tennessee and Stanford as a sophomore. The near-win over Tennessee last season, when the Mocs rallied from down 20 points in the third period but fell 59-57 in Knoxville. The trip to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame this year.

She graduated last May with a degree in health and human performance and has decided that post-career she will do some missionary work, with a trip to Miami in May and an opportunity to go to Greece in the fall. In between she plans on doing some summer work in the community while pondering a return to school to get a master’s degree in counseling.

But there’s still unfinished business — both team and individually.

“Maybe that’s the reason I say it’s been disappointing, because I haven’t had that game yet, and I expected to,” Vanlandingham said. “I expected to come in and play a role, help my teammates, my sisters out.

“I hope and expect that opportunity will come. I’m keeping my faith; I know this isn’t all in vain. I’m learning and growing, and these rings, they’ll be a good memory and years down the road I’ll have good stories to tell.

“There’s something a lot bigger than this.”

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress. com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.