FINAL STATS
POST-GAME NOTES
QUOTES
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.---The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team claimed an 84-75 win over visiting UNC Greensboro (4-21/3-13) in the McKenzie Arena on Valentine's night. The Mocs (14-13/10-6) won the game on the boards and at the line.
The win keeps the Mocs in first place in the Southern North Division by 1.5 games over Western Carolina at 8-7. The Catamounts won at home over Appalachian State 89-84 tonight.
Seniors Nicchaeus Doaks and Kevin Goffney paved the way for the Mocs. Doaks, who scored his 1,300th career point tonight, recorded a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Goffney grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds while adding 17 points as UTC dominated the glass by 20, 47-27.
The Mocs dominance inside offset a great night by Spartans junior Mikko Koivisto. Koivisto scored 28 points including eight three-pointers on the night.
UNCG got off to a good start leading by as many as seven, 22-15, at 8:05 on a Kendall Toney three-point basket. The Mocs battled back to take the lead 32-29 on a Khalil Hartwell layup with 2:15 to go in the half. The Spartans answered scoring six of the final seven points to take a 35-33 lead into intermission.
It was a see-saw affair at the start of the second half before a 9-1 run capped by two Doaks free throws made it 51-43 at 11:54. Doaks made a career-high 12 free throws on the night while tying his high of 18 attempts.
The Spartans battled back yet again tying the score at 55 on a Damian Eargle jumper. With a 59-58 lead, UTC took control of the game scoring eight unanswered points to go up nine, 67-58, with 4:39 to play on a layup by Stephen McDowell.
The lead was never closer than seven the rest of the way and reached as high as 12 with 20 seconds to play, 84-72, on two Goffney free throws.
The Mocs set season highs of 32 free throws made and 49 shot as Chattanooga took as many free throws as the physical Spartans shot from the field.
McDowell scored 20 points on the night with four rebounds and a career-high seven assists for the Mocs.
The dominance on the glass was impressive as the Mocs had 21 second-chance points to UNCG's four as UTC allowed the Spartans just three offensive rebounds.
McDowell scored 20 points on the night with four rebounds and a career-high seven assists for the Mocs. Toney added 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Spartans.
The Mocs are off until next Saturday when they host Samford at 7 p.m. on SportSouth. UNCG hosts Appalachian State at 7 p.m. Thursday night.
