Chattanooga Mocs Basketball Postgame Notes
Samford at Chattanooga
McKenzie Arena - Chattanooga, Tenn.
Saturday - Jan. 15, 2011
TEAM
- The Mocs improve to 6-0 in SoCon play with a 65-60 win over Samford tonight...UTC is 10-8 overall...the last time the Mocs started league play 6-0 was in 2007-08 when they won their first seven...the Bulldogs drop to 10-7 and 2-3 in SoCon play.
- Tonight was the 500th home game for UTC since moving to Division I in 1977-78...the Mocs are 400-100 (.800) as a DI team at home...340-89 (.793) in McKenzie Arena...206-56 (.786) in SoCon games at home and 179-47 (.792) in league games in the Roundhouse.
- Attendance at tonight's game was 3,258...it is the biggest home crowd of the season for the Mocs.
- It's the 80th meeting between the two schools with Chattanooga leading 46-34. The Mocs have faced Samford more than any other opponent in school history...UTC is 33-12 at home against Samford.
- UTC increases its lead in the Southern Rail Rivalry Series, a competition between Chattanooga and Samford throughout the school year, to 9-5. Each men's basketball head-to-head regular season contest is worth two points.
- Chattanooga is 635-383 (.624) since moving to Division I in 1977-78...in its 34th SoCon season, the Mocs are 341-184 (.650).
- UTC stands alone atop the SoCon North standings at 6-0 which is the best record in the league by a half-game ahead of South leader College of Charleston (5-0). The rest of the SoCon North shapes out with Western Carolina (4-2), Appalachian State (3-3), Samford (2-3), Elon (2-4) and UNCG (1-5).
- Chattanooga has made five or more three-pointers in 43 straight games. That's the third longest active streak in the nation. VMI has the longest with 87 consecutive contests (through 1/13).
- The Mocs are 7-1 in games where the score is within five points (leading or trailing) with five minutes left in the contest with wins over Kennesaw State (-1), Marshall (-2), Western Carolina (tied), at Elon (+3), at UNCG (+1), at The Citadel (+1) and tonight against Samford (+3)...the lone loss came at Austin Peay (-4).
- UTC is 8-0 when leading with five to play regardless of the score differential....Chattanooga is 7-0 when leading at the half.
- Chattanooga outrebounded Samford 39-34...the Mocs have won the battle of the boards in 11 of the last 12 games. That's after starting the season turning the trick just once in the first six...the Mocs only allowed Samford to grab five offensive rebounds.
- The Mocs held Samford scoreless almost seven minutes to start the game...Went 0-7, all from 3-pt. range, to start the game...Josh Davis hit two FTs at 13:03 to make the score 13-2...the Bulldogs got their first field goal on the next possession when Jeffrey Merritt scored inside at 12:01 to pull to 13-4.
- Samford missed its first 13 shots from 3-pt. range...the Bulldogs hit 12 of their last 25 to finish 12-38 (.31.6%) from behind the arc.
- The Mocs went scoreless for over seven minutes of the first half...Chris Early hit a jumper to put UTC up 13-0 at the 13:30 mark...the Mocs did not score again until Keegan Bell's layup at the 6:19 mark to give UTC a 15-9 lead...Chattanooga was 0-10 in that stretch, including 0-6 from 3-pt. range.
- Chattanooga scored 25 points off of Samford's 15 turnovers...the Bulldogs got just eight points off of UTC's 10 giveaways.
- The Mocs shot 20-61 from the floor for 32.8%...it is their lowest FG% in a win this season.
- UTC went 11-30 from 3-pt. range for 36.7%...it is the third game in a row and the seventh time this season the Mocs have hit 10+ three-pointers.
INDIVIDUAL
Junior Keegan Bell (Bob Cousy Award Watch List)
- Game-high nine assists.
- Came into the game leading the SoCon and No. 14 in the nation with 6.1 apg.
- Seventh game with 8+ assists.
- Scored nine points on 3-10 shooting, 1-5 from 3-pt. range and 2-2 from the FT line.
Junior Chris Early
- Tied for team-high and tied a career-high with 17 points.
- Shot 4-10 from the field, 3-6 from 3-pt. range and 6-6 from the FT line.
- Had made just 2-14 from 3-pt. range in his previous five games.
- Most FTs without a miss in a game...career-high for makes and tied a career mark for attempts.
- Also grabbed eight boards.
Head Coach John Shulman
- 115th win at UTC - 115-98 (.540) - 7th year.
- 60th SoCon regular season win at UTC - 60-52 (.536) - 7th year.
Junior Ricky Taylor
- First career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
- Shot 4-13 from the field, 2-7 from 3-pt. range and 6-7 from the FT line.
- Career-high 33 minutes.
- Reached double figures for the seventh game in a row.
Junior Omar Wattad
- Tied for team-high with 17 points.
- Shot 6-17 from the floor, 5-11 from 3-pt. range and 0-2 from the FT line.
- 18-33 (54.5%) from three-point range in the last three games...39.6% on the year.
- Added five rebounds.
