Chattanooga Mocs Basketball Postgame Notes
Chattanooga at Samford
Pete Hanna Center - Birmingham, Ala.
Saturday - Jan. 14, 2012­­

TEAM
- Chattanooga drops to 9-10 overall and 3-3 in SoCon action with a 81-70 loss at Samford on Saturday afternoon ... the Bulldogs improved to 4-12 and 1-4 in league play.

- The Mocs' bench was active for the third game in a row outscoring Samford 24-8...paced by sophomore Z. Mason and junior Dontay Hampton with 11 points each.

- UTC used a 17-4 run to start the second half to take the lead at 49-41 for the first time since beginning the contest with an 8-2 lead. (5-11, 3-5 3-pt)...there were four ties and five lead changes throughout the contest.

- It was a one-point deficit, 61-60, with five minutes to play...Mocs are 4-3 when the score is plus-five or minus-five with five minutes to play.

- Chattanooga out-rebounded Samford 37-32 to fall to 8-2 on the season when outrebounding an opponent...the effort included 18 offensive boards.

- The Bulldogs took the 82nd meeting the series to cut into the Mocs' 47-35 all-time advantage...it's just the eighth SoCon meeting with Chattanooga holding a 5-3 lead....now 14-23 on the road.

- Samford made the Mocs pay for mistakes in the first half as 10 turnovers led to 18 points...the Bulldogs ended up with 25 points off 15 Chattanooga miscues.

- Second-highest free throw percentage of the season at 86.4 (19-22)...best was 86.7 (13-15) against Utah Valley (12/30/11)...Samford shot 91.7% (22-24) from the charity, the most by a Mocs opponent this season.

INDIVIDUAL
Sophomore Z. Mason
- Tallied his third career and second game in a row with double-figures scoring 11...went 3-7 from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line.
- Recorded eight rebounds to come two shy of his second straight double-double.
- Five free throws made tied a season-best set against Appalachian State (01/07/12).

 Senior Ricky Taylor
- Totaled nine points going 2-9 from the field...1-3 from three...4-4 from the charity stripe to bump his team-leading percentage to 82.4 on the season...moved into 12th on DI era scoring list with 1,087 points passing James Jones' (1978-81) 1,081.
- Snapped a string of 13-straight games in double figures...10+ points in 16 of 19 games this season.
- Grabbed seven boards and notched five assists, tying a season and career high for assists last set at Kentucky (12/17/11).
- Passed Isaac Conner (1996-99) to move into ninth in field goals attempted at 870....moved into seventh in 3-point field goals attempted with 404 past Toot Young (2001-02).

Junior Dontay Hampton
- Totaled 11 points going 3-5 from the field and 3-4 from three...added 2-2 from the FT line.
- 6th game this season hitting double-digits in scoring...eighth of his career.
- Tallied four rebounds and an assist.

Senior Omar Wattad
- Started his first game after sitting out against Appalachian State and coming in as a reserve against Wofford with a back injury and responded with 17 points including four three-point field goals, his 12th double-digit scoring game of the season, 33rd career.
- Shot 4-13 from the field, 4-11 from 3-point range and 5-6 from the charity stripe...7th time this season, 20th career, with four or more treys made.
- The four 3-point field goals made moved him to 141 in his career tying teammate Keegan Bell in 9th all-time behind teammate Ricky Taylor (143).

Senior Keegan Bell
- Registered nine points on 3-12 shooting from 3pt range, while adding nine rebounds and five assists.
- The five assists increased his Mocs' all-time leading total to 475.
- Moved into third all-time in Mocs history in 3pt field goals attempted at 478 with 13 tonight passing Isaac Conner's (1996-99) 472.