CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team held off Appalachian State 85-80 Saturday night at the  McKenzie Arena. An 18-point UTC first half advantage narrowed to one late in the second, but the Mocs never relinquished the lead as they move to 13-10 overall and 5-5 in the Southern Conference North Division.

The Mountaineers fall to 12-8 and 6-4.  A Western Carolina win at Samford gives it first place alone one game ahead of App State and two clear of UTC.  Chattanooga topped Western Carolina Thursday night, 80-67.

Ridge McKeither led the Mocs with 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Ty Patterson also scored 18 to go along with eight rebounds.

Donald Sims and Jeremi Booth combined for 45 of the Mountaineers' 80 points in the loss.  Sims scored 24 points despite shooting 2-15 from three-point range.  Booth added 21 points, six rebounds and two steals.

Appalachian State had chance after chance to take the lead late in the game, but a three-pointer from the left wing by Jasper Williams with 58 seconds remaining in the game clinched it for the Mocs giving them a six-point cushion, 81-75. The third largest crowd at McKenzie Arena this season, despite the near half-foot of overnight snow in the area, erupted after the shot, letting out relief after what looked like a runaway victory throughout the first half.

McKeither scored the first six points of the game and had 12 before the break. Chattanooga only committed three turnovers in the first half and gradually built a commanding lead. But Sims would not let the Mountaineers go away.

The 18-point lead closed to 10 at halftime, and Sims scored five straight to open the second period and get the Mountaineers within five. But the Mocs answered each run to maintain the lead.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Josh Odem extended the lead to 64-54 with 12:31 to play. But Appalachian State stayed close by turning 3-15 shooting from behind the arc in the first half into 8-19 in the second.

Booth hit a three with 8:15 to play that closed the gap to two, 68-66, and the Mocs did not lead by more than four that until Williams' three with 58 seconds to play.

Perhaps the best chance for the Mountaineers to take the lead came at 7:38 when a loose ball resulted in an open jumper for Sims, but he missed, Patterson grabbed the rebound and scored two of his own on the other end.

Appalachian State was within one on three different occasions, but could never break through.  After a Kellen Brand three-pointer at 5:15 cut it to one, 72-71, the Mocs defense held ASU without a field goal until Booth hit a trey with 39 seconds to play, a span of 4:36.

Booth hit five of eight from three - four in the second half - for the Mountaineers.  Sims did his damage from the free throw line, making 10-11 on his way to his game-high 24. Appalachian State was 17-20 from the charity stripe as a team, while the Mocs struggled shooting 47.2 percent (17-36).

Rebounding was the inside story going into the game as the Mountaineers entered the game leading the league in rebound margin at +6.7 per game.  The Mocs not only out-boarded ASU 46-37, but UTC held a 20-2 advantage in second chance points.

Odem finished with eight points, while Ricky Taylor added 11 points and eight rebounds as the Mocs had three players (McKeither, Patterson, Taylor) with eight or more.  Booth and Andre Williamson each had six to lead the Mountaineers.

With Keegan Bell in foul trouble, fouling out with 2:20 to play, Williams and Dontay Hampton were relied on for key minutes.  The trio combined for 16 points, three rebounds and six assists with just two turnovers from the point.

The Mocs tied a season high hitting 14 three-pointers as three Chattanooga student-athletes, Patterson (4), Taylor (3) and Bell (3), made three or more, while Williams and Odem knocked down two each.

Both teams got off to hot starts with App State shooting 51.6 percent in the first frame before the Mocs' defense locked it down to just 32.3 percent shooting after the break.  ASU shot 42.1 percent (8-19) from beyond the arc, but made just two of 12 (16.7%) shots inside the arc.

Chattanooga registered just 10 turnovers on the evening which is the lowest total since nine in the win over Long Island (12/29/09) in the opening round of the Dr Pepper Classic.  ASU had just nine in the loss.  The 19 combined turnovers are the fewest in a UTC game this season.

The Mocs have a much-needed four days off before traveling to College of Charleston Thursday, Feb. 4 followed by a Saturday night tilt at The Citadel.  The next home game is on Wednesday, Feb. 10, against Samford.