The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team opened its 33rd season of Division I play and the defense of its Southern Conference Championship with a 107-62 win over Virginia Intermont tonight. The Mocs scored 62 first-half points on their way to improving to 19-0 when starting the season at home.
Chattanooga opened the game with a 16-0 run while holding the Cobras scoreless for the first 3:40 of the game. UTC forced Virginia Intermont into six turnovers and 0-3 from the floor in the first four minutes of the game.
VIC shot well in the first frame, going 10-22 from the floor for 45.5%. However, the Mocs made as many field goals (22) as the Cobras took in the first 20 minutes, thanks in large part to 24 points on 17 offensive rebounds and 23 points on 16 turnovers.
The second half was much of the same as Chattanooga opened with a 23-4 run, pushing the lead to 86-34 with 14:03 left in the game. The Mocs led by 56 halfway through the second half when junior Jeff Smith hit a jumper to increase the lead to 93-37. Smith finished with a career-high 11 points off the bench as Chattanooga backed off the throttle for the rest of the game.
All five starters were in double figures tonight for the Mocs, led by sophomore Ricky Taylor's career-high 17 points. Junior Jeremy Saffore had career-highs with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The 7-1 center used his height advantage to shoot 6-8 from the floor and post his first career double-double.
Sophomore transfer Keegan Bell was impressive in his debut, posting 12 points, six assists and five steals in just 16 minutes of action. All 11 Mocs that saw action in the game scored tonight. The Cobras were led by Benjamin Mulkey's 17 points off the bench.
Chattanooga returns to "Rock the Roundhouse" on Tuesday, Nov. 17, when they host long-time rival East Tennessee State. UTC is offering $1 ticket to the game that tips at 7:00 p.m. (E.S.T.). Fans can purchase tickets at the game, order over the phone by calling (423) 266-MOCS or online at GoMocs.com. Enter the promo code "beatetsu" when ordering online.
