Boxscore
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Senior guard Chris Lofton scored a game-high 16 points to lead five players in double figures as No. 10 Tennessee (10-1) slipped past Chattanooga (4-4, 1-0) Tuesday evening in a non-conference men's basketball game at The McKenzie Arena. The visit was the first for Tennessee in more than 25 years when the Volunteers opened the Arena with a 55-49 victory on December 1, 1982.
Leading 52-48 after a back-and-forth affair through the first half and early part of the second, Tennessee mounted a decisive 9-1 run over a span of 2:47 to extend their lead to 61-49 with 7:36 remaining in the game. Over the next 3:19, UT would extend its lead to 66-53 at the 4:17 mark and 70-57 with just under a minute to play before closing out the 76-70 victory.
In the first half, both teams were evenly matched as the teams played out to an 8-8 tie before a 8-0 Tennessee run, capped off by back-to-back three-pointers by Lofton and junior forward Ryan Childress, made the score 16-8 at the 14:20 mark. A 6-1 run by the Mocs put UTC back in the game and made the score 17-14 before the Vols pushed their lead back to six at 22-16.
Chattanooga would stay close with back-to-back baskets by junior forward Kevin Goffney (Ethel, La.) and junior forward Nicchaeus Doaks (Trenton, Tenn.) to close to within 22-20 with 10:12 to play. From there the teams would trade baskets over the next several possessions before UT extended to a 30-25 advantage at the 4:06 mark.
Back-to-back three-pointers by junior guard Stephen McDowell (Indianapolis, Ind.), sandwiched around a layup by Tennessee sophomore forward Wayne Chism, pulled the Mocs to within 32-31 with 1:46 to play in the half. After a UT layin less than a minute later to make the score 34-31, Chattanooga sophomore forward Matt Gywnne (Angier, N.C.) connected underneath the basket to take UTC to the half trailing only 34-33.
After staying within several points of the tenth-ranked team in the country for most of the first half, Chattanooga came out strong at the start of the second half as they scored the first four points and posted a 6-2 run to take a 39-36 lead with 18:46 to play. Trailing 41-38, Tennessee scored the next seven points to take back the lead, 45-41. Gwynne would fuel the Chattanooga offensive attack over the next several minutes as he connected on a trey from the corner and a layup to pull UTC to within 47-46 with 14:51 remaining in the second half.
Both teams went scoreless over the next 3:05 before two free throws from sophomore guard Ramar Smith keyed a 6-0 run to push the Tennessee lead to 52-46. Following a layup by Doaks to make the score 52-48, the Volunteers then went on their 9-1 run to take control of the game.
Joining Lofton in double-figures for Tennessee were senior guard JaJuan Smith with 13 points, senior guard Jordan Howell with 12 points and sophomore forward Tyler Smith and Ramar Smith with 10 points each. Tyler Smith led the Vols with five rebounds and a game-high six steals while Howell posted a team-high four assists. As a team, Tennessee finished with 17 steals and grabbed 16 of their 31 rebounds off the offensive glass.
Leading the way for Chattanooga was McDowell with a team-high 14 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists while senior forward Marcus Watts (Clinton, S.C.) posted his second career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Doaks added 11 points, seven rebounds and a game-high three blocks while Gwynne and Goffney each finished with 10 points. Goffney also added a team high four steals.
As a team, Chattanooga outrebounded Tennessee 46-31, pulling down 17 offensive rebounds, and shot 12-15 from the foul line. The Mocs also posted a season-high 34 turnovers.
The Mocs will continue their eight-game December homestand when they face the College of Charleston on Saturday, December 15. That game is slated to tip-off at 7 p.m. and will be the second game of a day-night double-header with the Lady Mocs.
NOTES
With 11,221 fans in attendance, this evening's game has set a new attendance record for The McKenzie Arena, breaking the old mark of 11,218 set twice during the first year of play in the Arena ...The mark was first set in the opening game on 12/1/82, when No.14 Tennessee defeated Chattanooga 55-49 and again later that month on 12/21/82 when Michael Jordan's 17th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Mocs 73-66 ... this game marks the first time since 1996 that UTC has played a home game in front of 10,000 or more fans ... that year they lost to No. 19 Memphis 63-55 on 2/22/96 in front of a crowd of 10,343.
