POST-GAME NOTES
QUOTES
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.---Offensive rebounding and key defensive stops in the second half propelled Chattanooga (15-13/11-6) to a 67-62 win over Samford (13-14/8-10) in the McKenzie Arena Saturday night. Fifteen of the Mocs 33 rebounds came on the offensive end.
Nicchaeus Doaks led the way with 20 points for Chattanooga to go with eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Stephen McDowell scored 16 for the Mocs adding four assists and a career-high four steals.
Samford was led by Bryan Friday with 16 points. Josh Davis added 14 and a team-high four boards, while Andy King chipped in 11.
Down 13-12 midway through the first half, the Mocs went on a 13-2 run capped by a McDowell three-pointer to take a 25-15 advantage with 7:04 left in the half.
The Bulldogs answered by outscoring UTC 22-4 over the reminder of the half to take a 37-29 lead into intermission. The run included nine unanswered points over the final 2:41 including six by Friday.
Chattanooga came on strong to start the second half tying the game at 39-all on a Khalil Hartwell layup at 15:23. The Mocs held the Bulldogs without a field goal for the first 8:12 of the half. King ended the Samford drought with a three-pointer that gave Samford a 44-41 lead at 11:48.
After a Ty Patterson three-pointer tied the game at 44, a Doaks layup gave the Mocs the lead again 46-44. A Doaks three-pointer from the top of the key made it 61-55 at 6:08 with Chattanooga in firm control.
Samford would not be swept away. The Bulldogs scored seven unanswered points to regain the lead, 62-61, on a Matthew Friday layup. It would be the last basket of the game for Samford.
A McDowell three at 3:31 gave the Mocs the lead for good with three free throws tacked on for good measure in the 67-62 triumph.
Hartwell's 12 boards led the Mocs to a 33-21 advantage on the glass. Kevin Goffney did not score a lot, just eight points, but he did everything else tying a career-high with five assists, including an electrifying alley oop to Patterson, to go with three steals and a blocked shot.
The Mocs had 19 second chance points to just six for Samford as Chattanooga owned a 15-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. The Bulldogs shot 66.7 percent from the field in the first half, but ended the game at 50 percent as UTC limited Samford to 33.3 percent shooting after the break.
It was Hall of Fame Night at the McKenzie Arena as the Chattanooga Athletics Hall of Fame inducted four new members. Damita Bullock (Women's Basketball), Heidi Narborough Dettinger (Women's Tennis), Randall “Brick” Mitchell (Football) and Ron Whaley (Football) were presented as the Class of 2009.
Chattanooga returns to action with Senior Night in the McKenzie Arena on Monday as College of Charleston comes to town for a 7 p.m. start. Samford is off until next Thursday traveling to Western Carolina on Feb. 26.
