{"id":24521,"date":"2018-12-20T15:09:44","date_gmt":"2018-12-20T20:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=24521"},"modified":"2019-01-30T15:16:09","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T20:16:09","slug":"full-circle-love-of-basketball-leads-to-true-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2018\/12\/full-circle-love-of-basketball-leads-to-true-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Full Circle: Love of basketball leads to true love"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chase Clounch proposes to Molly Melton at McKenzie Arena’s center court.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Photo: Laura O’Dell<\/p><\/div>\n

The couple plan to get married on July 27 in Patten Chapel. The following month, Melton will be back at UTC to start her pursuit of a Master in Public Health. Clounch is currently employed with Komatsu as a design engineer. They hope to honeymoon in Jamaica.\u201cOnce again, full circle. We are getting married in Patten Chapel at UTC.\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n

Full circle. That\u2019s the best way Molly Melton can explain her love story with Chase Clounch.<\/p>\n

They met on the basketball court. Melton has been point guard on UTC\u2019s women\u2019s team for the past four years;\u00a0Clounch was the team manager for four years and also is nephew of Head Coach Katie Burrows.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where the love story circles back around. On Dec. 8, Clounch walked out on the basketball court in McKenzie Arena and\u2014in full view of her teammates and family members from both sides of the aisle\u2014got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.<\/p>\n

Totally shocked, at first she crouched over with hands on her knees, smiling with tears in her eyes, before standing up straight. When he opened the ring box, she nodded. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce again, full circle. We are getting married in Patten Chapel at UTC,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The truth is, though, neither really noticed the other until Melton, an exercise science major planning to graduate in May, hurt her knee last December.<\/p>\n

After her injury, she was stuck on the sidelines for several games, but she showed up to every practice \u201cwith a smile on her face, a great attitude and was still encouraging and \u2018coaching up\u2019 her teammates,\u201d says Clounch, who graduated from UTC in May with a degree in mechanical engineering.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember thinking, \u2018There may be something to this girl.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

He started talking with her whenever he could, especially about any Alabama team playing on TV. He figured it was a smooth move because, even though he\u2019s not an Alabama fan, Melton is. But she never picked up on his romantic overtures, she says. Clounch, on the other hand, thought he was picking up signals from her.<\/p>\n

After the season ended in the spring, and with Burrows\u2019 blessing, he asked her on a date. Surprised and not sure what the date might bring, she agreed.<\/p>\n

After months of dating, Clounch took the the old-fashioned step of asking her family for its blessing, then spent three weeks planning his marriage proposal. With the help of Burrows, he set it in motion.<\/p>\n

While it seemed like a normal practice day to Melton, a few things were different from the routine. Practice was held in McKenzie Arena instead of the team\u2019s usual facility at the Lawson Center. Burrows also had the team end practice with a half-court drill to divert Melton\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

The two families close behind, Clounch walked onto the court carrying a basketball with \u201cWill You Marry Me?\u201d written on it. The team was facing in the opposite direction, but they all turned around at the same time to a chorus of screams and laughter when they saw Clounch.<\/p>\n

After the team moved away\u00a0to give them room, Clounch reached into his pocket, pulled out the ring and, getting down on one knee, asked his best friend to marry him. When Melton nodded \u201cYes,\u201d the arena filled with cheers. A moment later, someone yelled “Hugs!” and the team mobbed the couple. High above, the arena\u2019s video board played a photo montage of the couple’s dating history<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing the man I am going to marry with all of our family and friends watching. It was really perfect and special for everybody,\u201d Melton says.<\/p>\n

What she loves most about Clounch is his \u201cheart for people,\u201d she says. \u201cHe\u2019s the most unselfish person I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

From his side, Clounch says Melton \u201cis a constant reminder to me that God is always in control, and that he has a plan for my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe loves me so well, way better than I\u2019ll ever deserve, and I\u2019m so thankful for her,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Although she\u2019s losing Melton as a basketball player, Burrows says she\u2019s excited to be gaining her as a niece.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love Molly and are thrilled that she will be joining our family,\u201d Burrows says.<\/p>\n

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Teammates from the UTC women’s basketball team mob Molly Melton after she accepts a marriage proposal from former team manager Chase Clounch.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Photo: Laura O’Dell<\/p><\/div>\n

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