GAME NOTES | MEDIA CENTER | WESTERN CAROLINA
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs look to build on Thursday night's momentum hosting Western Carolina Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. It's the second half of a Southern Conference doubleheader as the Mocs women tackle Samford at 2 p.m.
 
The Mocs, 16-6 overall and 7-3 in league play, are a mere game behind SoCon leaders Furman and ETSU at 8-2. The Paladins are at The Citadel, while the Bucs take a rare Saturday off returning to the court Monday at Wofford.
 
The young Catamounts squad enters 7-17, 2-9 in the SoCon. They've proven dangerous winning last Saturday at Wofford. Larry Hunter's squad features two juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen in its projected starting five.
 
The first meeting was a slow start for the Mocs. They hit just one of their first 10 shots before and 11-0 run turned an eight-point deficit into a 19-16 lead with 5:14 left in the first half. The Gig City lads out-scored their hosts 45-32 the rest of the way for a 64-48 triumph.
 
Chattanooga has a trio of double-digit scorers in Tre' McLean (14.3), Justin Tuoyo (13.5) and Greg Pryor (12.4). Tuoyo ranks in the top 10 nationally in blocks (3rd, 3.2) and field goal percentage (7th, 64.0%). Haboubacar Mutombo paces the Catamounts at a 10.8 points-per-game clip. Freshman Onno Steger is making 56.3 percent (18-32) from 3pt range in league games which leads the SoCon.
 
A ticket purchased for either contest for the doubleheader is valid for both. It serves as a general admission seat for the opposite game. For instance, if you have a reserved seat ticket for the men's game, it is good for a GA seat for the women's, which is all the non-padded seats reserved seats on either side of the court.
 
Game View
Western Carolina (7-17/2-9) at Chattanooga (16-6/7-3) – 5 p.m. – WatchESPN (ESPN3)
 
5 Notes to Know

• Ranked No. 13 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. Four SoCon teams are ranked including ETSU (12), Furman (20) and UNCG (22). New poll released every Monday evening.
• 85-37 (.697) over last four seasons (18-15/22-10/29-6/16-6). That ranks No. 1 in the state of Tennessee, tied with Belmont, and the SoCon.
• Justin Tuoyo needs nine points for 1,000 in his UTC career. He made his 250th block Thursday night in the first half vs. UNCG.
• Four straight games with a 20-point scorer (McLean-23 vs. Samford, Pryor-23 vs. VMI, Pryor-21 at ETSU, McLean-20 vs. UNCG). The last time the Mocs had five straight? February 2014 (4-23) courtesy of three different individuals: Z. Mason, Gee McGhee and Casey Jones.
• Greg Pryor's improbable 3pt was the No. 1 play on SportsCenter's Top 10 Thursday night. The last time the Mocs had the top play was Gee McGhee's halftime buzzer-beating backcourt heave vs. Elon on Jan. 23, 2014.

 
Matt McCall on…
Thoughts on quick turnaround from Thursday's win:
"Today it is all about shifting your focus to Western Carolina. Just because we played great against Greensboro doesn't mean we start tomorrow with a 10-point lead. It doesn't mean anything. It's a completely new game. We need to focus on what we need to do to win the game."
 
What challenges does Western Carolina bring:
"They're an extremely physical team…a team that can turn you over in the half-court because of how hard they plug and come off the wings. We have to make the right play and not turn the ball over. They're a terrific rebounding team, especially on the offensive end. When the ball's on the glass, they chase, go hard over your back and are extremely physical. They are one of the most, if not the most, physical teams in the league."
 
The Series

• 89th meeting.
• 64-24 series lead – 37-3 in McKenzie Arena.
• 52-21 in regular season SoCon matchups.
• 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
• McCall is 3-1 vs. the Spartans…1-0 in Chattanooga.
• Previous Meeting this season: Story | Stats | Notes | Quotes

 
Stat to Follow
Western Carolina is 7-0 when it leads at halftime this season, 0-17 when trailing. UTC has led at the break in 17 of its 22 games (14-3 leading/2-3 otherwise).
 
WATCH the game 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).