GAME NOTES | MEDIA CENTER | SAMFORD
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs return home after a week off to host Samford Saturday at 5 p.m. The game is the second half of a doubleheader with the ladies facing UNCG at 2 p.m. It is also Military Appreciation Day with free general admission seats for all veterans and active service members and immediate families.
 
It's a meeting featuring two of the top teams in the early Southern Conference standings. UTC is second at 5-1 in the league, a half-game behind leader UNCG at 6-1. Samford is tied for third at 4-2 with ETSU and Furman.
 
Chattanooga boasts a four-game winning streak. It has captured 18 of its last 19 SoCon home games, while Samford comes to Gig City as winners of all three league road games this season including handing the Spartans their lone conference loss to date.
 
The Mocs, 14-4 overall, have enviable depth. Through 18 games, they've boasted a 20-point scorer nine times. Four different individuals – Tre' McLean (4), Greg Pryor (2), Justin Tuoyo (2) and Johnathan Burroughs-Cook (1) – make up that list, while Casey Jones narrowly missed it last week with 17 against The Citadel.
 
Samford enters the contest at 13-6. UMass transfer Demetrius Denzel-Dyson leads the Bulldogs in scoring at a 13.9 point-per-game clip. Sophomore center Wyatt Walker adds a double-double average of 13.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest, while junior point guard Christen Cunningham is fourth in the nation in assists (128) and sixth in assist-turnover ratio (3.7).
 
Fans can catch both games on the WatchESPN app. The ticket office is offering a special DH ticket package for the four nights this season. It provides a lower-level reserved ticket for all eight games for just $55. Learn more here.
 
Game View
Samford (13-6/4-2) at Chattanooga (14-4/5-1) – 5 p.m. – WatchESPN (ESPN3)
 
5 Notes to Know

• 21-4 (.840) in last 25 SoCon regular season contests.
• 65 wins since start of 2014-15 season is 12th-most in school history over 3-year spread. Record is 77 covering the 1982 through 1984 campaigns.
• Ranked No. 7 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. ETSU is No. 12 and UNCG No. 23.
• Shooting 53.4 percent (40.1% 3pt) at home.
• Johnathan Burroughs-Cook is averaging 16.3 points per contest over the last three shooting 54.2 percent (13-24) from the floor including 42.9 percent from long range (3-7) and 71.4 percent (20-28) at the free throw line.

 
Matt McCall on…
Matchup vs. Samford:
"Their talent level is terrific and their record speaks for itself. They're undefeated on the road in our league. Coach [Scott] Padgett has done a great job building that program. He does a great job offensively taking advantage of matchups. Defensively, it's a full court pressure defense back into a matchup zone similar to the days when he was with [Rick] Pitino."
 
On Military Appreciation Day:
"Their job is a lot more important than our job. What they've done, and are doing, should always be celebrated. This is our way of celebrating them and appreciating all they do for us and our country."
 
The Series

• 93rd meeting with Samford, the longest running series in school history.
• 56-36 series lead.
• 12-4 in regular season SoCon matchups.
• Won last five meetings.
• 9-1 in the last 10.
• McCall is 3-0 vs. the Bulldogs…1-0 in Chattanooga.
• Last year's games: Home | Away

 
Stat to Follow
Samford is 15-2 since the start of last season when scoring 80 or more points. Mocs held the opposition to 67.4 points per game over that span and are 4-3 when opponents tally 80 or more.
 
WATCH the game locally on the WatchESPN App (ESPN3).
 
LISTEN on Real 96.1 FM in Chattanooga or through the iHeart (search Real 96.1) and TuneIn (search Chattanooga Mocs) radio apps.
 
LINKS to tickets, live stats, video (ESPN3) and audio (Mocs Sports Network) are on GoMocs.com's men's basketball schedule page.
 
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.
 
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 30 titles with 11 regular season, 11 tournament and eight division.
- 16 NCAA Tournament Appearances (11 DI): 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, 2016
- 11 SoCon Tournament Crowns: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2009, 2016
- 11 SoCon Regular Season Championships: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2016
- 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).
- 3 SoCon Defensive Players of the Year: Z. Mason (2014), Justin Tuoyo (2015, 2016).
- 4 SoCon Coaches of the Year: Murray Arnold (1982, '83), Mack McCarthy (1986, '92, '93), Will Wade (2014) and Matt McCall (2016).
- 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).