GAME NOTES | ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs are on the road Saturday at Samford. The 8 p.m., Eastern time tipoff is the Southern Conference opener for both teams broadcasting on ESPN3.
 
The Mocs youthful brigade marched through the non-conference slate at 6-7 with several opportunities for a better record. For a team entering the season with just 12 total starts scattered across the roster, the first 13 games provide optimism.
 
"There's a lot of room for growth, and you could see that today," Coach Lamont Paris stated after the loss to Georgia State a week or so ago. "I'm happy with what we've done and how we've played overall. More proud of how we've grown more than anything. I'm happy in the direction where we're headed.
 
"It'll be a battle every day in the direction we're going. We have to be real basic at practice, paying attention to detail and fundamentals. Our guys always respond."
 
The Mocs turn the season's page with their most familiar opponent. This is the 95th meeting with Samford in a series that dates back to the 1925-26. All but 25 of the matchups came prior to the move to DI in 1977-78.
 
Nat Dixon is on a hot streak. He's scored 18 or more in each of the last three contests averaging 18.7 points per game over the span. He'll likely be joined by Rodney Chatman, Makale Foreman, Makinde London and James Lewis, Jr., in the lineup as that quintet opened 12 of the first 13 appearances.
 
THE MATCHUP
Saturday – Dec. 30, 2017 – Hanna Center – Birmingham, Ala.
Chattanooga (6-7/0-0) at Samford (4-9), 8 p.m. (ET)
Media: ESPN3/Real 96.1 FM/GoMocs.com
 
SERIES HISTORY
Meeting: 95th
Overall: 57-37
SoCon Regular Season: 13-5
Last 10: 8-2
Last Year's Series: 1-1 | 82-78 Win in Chattanooga | 72-68 OT Loss in Birmingham
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
G - 0-Makale Foreman, 6-1, 185, So., 8.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 39.4% 3pt
G - 1-Rodney Chatman, 6-1, 175, So., 11.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.0 apg
F - 5-Nat Dixon, 6-4, 180, Jr., 12.8 ppg. 4.9 rpg, 2.2 apg
F - 10-James Lewis, Jr., 6-5, 215, Fr., 9.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 51.3% FG
F - 22-Makinde London, 6-10, 220, Jr., 13.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 39.0% 3pt
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW

• 23-17 all-time in SoCon openers with a 10-11 mark on the road. Won the last four with all coming away from Gig City.
• 15-5 vs. Samford since the Bulldogs joined the league in 2008-09 and winners of 10 of the last 12 meetings with both losses coming in overtime.
• Junior forward Makinde London is working on a December to remember averaging 13.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest during the month. If he ends the month with a double-double average, he'll be the first Moc since Z. Mason '14 in March 2014. Mason posted 19.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in three contests. Need a longer stretch of excellence? He averaged 18.8 points and 10.3 boards over the final 25 games of that senior campaign.

 
FOLLOW ALONG
Saturday's game is available online and on the radio. Here's the broadcast info with links available on the men's basketball schedule page:
 
Video Stream: Fans can watch the Mocs games on ESPN3/WatchESPN app. Chris Goforth (PxP) and Todd Agne (analysis) have the call.
 
Radio: There are several ways to listen to the game. "Voice of the Mocs" Jim Reynolds is over the airwaves on Real 96.1 FM in Chattanooga. Click the 96.1 FM link on the men's basketball schedule to listen online or use the iHeart (search Real 96.1 FM) and TuneIn (search Chattanooga Mocs) radio apps.
 
Live Stats: Access live stats on the men's basketball schedule page.
 
Social Media: Score updates and more on Twitter from @GoMocsMBB.
 
TICKETS ON SALE
There is a ticket link on the men's basketball schedule page connecting to Samford's site.
 
Tickets for home games are on sale –single-game and mini-plans – at all the usual places. To buy tickets, you can:
 

• Visit the Gate 1 Ticket Office at McKenzie Arena during business hours.
• Call the McKenzie Arena Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627) during business hours.
• Go online via GoMocs.com: Single-Game | Mini-Plan
• Group tickets are available by calling (423) 425-5470.

 
The McKenzie Arena ticket office is closed December 23rd – January 1st with the exception of the dates and times listed below for Mocs basketball games and the Southern Scuffle.  The ticket office resumes normal business hours starting January 3rd.  Normal business hours include Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
 
Tickets and information is always available at www.GoMocs.com
 
January 1st and 2nd the ticket office opens at 8:30 a.m., for the Southern Scuffle.
 
NEXT UP         
Next three games for the Mocs (all times Eastern):
Dec. 30 at Samford, 8 p.m.
Jan. 4 vs. Western Carolina, 7:30 p.m. (DH)
Jan. 6 vs. ETSU, 5 p.m. (DH)
 
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. 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.