STATS |
NOTES |
QUOTESÂ
GREENVILLE, S.C.---The Chattanooga Mocs (13-3/2-1) eight-game winning streak was snapped in a 70-55 loss at Furman (8-8/2-1). The defeat also ended an eight-game win streak in Southern Conference regular season play.
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The reserve trio of
Johnathan Burroughs-Cook,
Dee Oldham and
Duke Ethridge had 30 of UTC's 55 points. Burroughs-Cook led the way with 13, while Ethridge chipped in eight. Oldham added nine points and team-high six rebounds.
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Devin Sibley led all scorers with 18 for the Paladins. Stephen Croone had 17 points with four assists, three rebounds and three steals.
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Justin Tuoyo started the second half with five straight points to erase a three-point halftime deficit and tie the game 35-all with 18:39 to play. Furman was up two, 40-38, after
Tre' McLean drained a deep three at 15:21. It methodically pulled away from there.
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Geoff Beans' triple at 10:06 marked a 13-5 spurt to stretch the lead to 10. John Davis' free throws three-plus minutes later put the lead in double digits for good as the Mocs could not sustain a comeback.
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UTC attempted its fewest shots (47) since the Feb. 21, 2015 win over East Tennessee State (43). Its 20 turnovers led to 20 Furman points.
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"We just didn't play the right way, didn't play for each other," coach
Matt McCall said. "Nine assists and 20 turnovers, I don't care who you play against, any night you do that, you're going to get beat. We played selfish. I thought we took bad shots. The ball didn't move. Give them credit. They were pretty good defensively and taking us out of what we wanted to do. It just didn't feel like we played the right way today.
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"I take responsibility. I'm the coach. For whatever reason today, we were not ready to play."
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It was a good start for the visitors. Ethridge capped an 11-2 run with a layup at 9:40 for a 16-7 advantage. It was 19-14 after an Ethridge three-pointer at 7:01.
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Furman scored eight of the next 10 points for a 22-21 lead on Daniel Fowler's layup at 4:26. Burroughs-Cook (FT) and Oldham scored on back-to-back possessions to wrest the lead back, 24-22.
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The Paladins responded with back-to-back layups and a dunk before a three-pointer from Larry Wideman grew the lead to six.
Greg Pryor ended the first half scoring with a three-pointer of his own with 26 seconds remaining cutting the deficit in half to three, 33-30.
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The Mocs stay in the upstate for Monday's game at Wofford. The start time is 6 p.m., moved up this week to accommodate fans wanting to watch the FBS Championship game. The contest airs on ESPN3.com and on the Mocs Sports Network via 96.1 the Legend FM in Chattanooga.
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Check the men's basketball schedule page on GoMocs.com for links to video, audio and live stats. Follow @GoMocsMBB for live tweets from the contest.
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GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.Â
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL- The Mocs are by far the most successful program in the Southern Conference since joining the league in 1977-78. The team has won 28 titles with 10 regular season, 10 tournament and eight division.
- 15 NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1961 (DII), 1973 (DII), 1975 (DII), 1976 (DII Runner-up), 1977 (DII National Champs), 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997 (Sweet 16), 2005, 2009
- 10 SoCon Tournament Crowns: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2009
- 10 SoCon Regular Season Championships: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
- 8 Division Titles: 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011
- The 1997 team went to the NCAA Sweet 16 with wins over Georgia and Illinois.
- 5 SoCon Players of the Year: Willie White (1981-82), Keith Nelson (1991-92), Tim Brooks (1992-93), Chad Copeland (1993-94) and Johnny Taylor (1996-97).
- 2 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year: Z. Mason (2014),
Justin Tuoyo (2015).
- 3 SoCon Coaches of the Year: Murray Arnold (1982, '83), Mack McCarthy (1986, '92, '93) and Will Wade (2014).
- 9 NBA Draft Picks: Walter "Moose" McGary (1973 & '74), William Gordon (1977), Wayne Golden (1977), Russ Schoene (1982), Nick Morken (1982), Willie White (1984), Gerald Wilkins (1985, 13 seasons) and Johnny Taylor (1997 1st Round).