1) Basics
Matchup: VMI (6-13/1-7) at Chattanooga (7-14/1-7)
Tipoff: 5:02 p.m.
TV/Streaming: WatchESPN (ESPN3) – Chris Goforth (PxP) and Todd Agne (analysis) have the call. Access broadcast link on the
GoMocs.com basketball schedule page.
Radio: Real 96.1 FM in Chattanooga – "Voice of the Mocs" Jim Reynolds has the call. His velvety tones have crossed the Scenic City airwaves for 38 seasons. The game is also available via iHeart (search Real 96.1 FM Chattanooga) and TuneIn (Chattanooga Mocs) radio apps or you can listen on GoMocs.com. You can also access the Mocs Sports Network on the
GoMocs.com basketball schedule page.
Reading/Viewing Material: Check out our options here:
Preview |
Game Notes.
Tickets: Tickets are on sale at all the usual places. You can buy by:
- Visiting the Gate 1 Ticket Office at McKenzie Arena during business hours.
- Calling the McKenzie Arena Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627) during business hours.
- Going online via GoMocs.com: Single-Game | Mini-Plan
- Group tickets are available by calling (423) 425-5470.
Social Media: Score updates from Twitter on @GoMocsMBB.
2) Details
We've reached the middle game of a three-game-six-day home stretch. It started with
Wednesday's exciting win over Samford and continues now with VMI.
The injury report is pretty well-documented for this crew. They've wreaked havoc with the lineup as only
Rodney Chatman,
Nat Dixon,
Makale Foreman and
David Jean-Baptiste played in all 21 games to date. Dixon's 36.2 minutes per game are the most since Gerald Wilkins' school-record 37.1 in 1984-85 and currently ranks third all-time at Chattanooga behind Willie White's 36.4 in 1983-84. Foreman is sixth on the list at 35.0.
Despite the struggles, the hard-working, youthful squad have been fun to follow and watch. They'll not be the only entertainment Saturday afternoon.
The ZOOperstars! Perform at halftime of both games.
ZOOperstars! is a traveling inflatable entertainment act, based in Louisville, Ky., which utilizes comedy, acrobatics, tricks and maneuvers accompanied by synchronized dancing to entertain. The likes of Tim Tebull, Kevin Duranteater, LeBronco James, Sealrena Williams & local favorite Peyton Manatee could be in attendance.
3) History
Meeting: 55th
Overall: 42-12
In Chattanooga: 21-3
SoCon Regular Season: 37-10
Last 10: 8-2
Last Year: 1-1 |
In Chattanooga |
In Lexington
4) Makinde Making Math Fun
It's not that hard to stat a story to death. While numbers provide depth to a story, sometimes they're the "yada, yada, yada" that's so easy to gloss over. That's not the case here.
Junior
Makinde London provided one of the Mocs most dominant performances with 25 points and 18 rebounds in a narrow December loss at Marshall, a team that may prove itself the best in Conference USA this season.
He arguably topped that show Wednesday night vs. Samford with 21 points and a school record for rebounds in a regular season Southern Conference game grabbing 19. It was the third-most boards of the DI era behind Mindaugas Katelynas' 21 in the 2005 SoCon Semis victory against Appalachian State and 20 by Vincent Robinson in an overtime triumph over Tennessee State in the 1988 Dr Pepper Classic.
It was the 18th time the Mocs had a player with 20 and 15 in a game with points and rebounds. Robinson's was flipped with 17 points and 20 boards, while the other 17 all came in the traditional manner.
London's 20&15 duo this season matches William Wright's 1977-78 double. London and Wright are the only two Mocs with multiple 20&15's in a season and career, each with two.
Makinde has seven total 20-point games this season. The record is 22 by Gerald Wilkins in 1984-85. He's nearly halfway to the top 3 with 16 by Ashley Champion in 2003-04 and 15 by a quartet of Mocs, most recently Stephen McDowell during the 2008-09 SoCon title run (Derrick Kirce, 1989-90; Keith Nelson, 1990-91; Chad Copeland, 1993-94).
5) Three Notes to Notice
- Speaking of math, Coach Lamont Paris was pretty clear on the post-game walk to the media room Wednesday night that it was hoax. He shook his head looking at 22 turnovers on the Mocs ledger and quipped, "22 turnovers…math has no meaning. E-MC squared? I don't believe it. E doesn't always equal MC squared." Paris had good reason to question the math in this case. Twenty of the 22 came in the first 32:01 of the contest. That's a turnover every 96 seconds (1:36). The Mocs led 64-48 at that point. They had just two the rest of the way or one every 240 seconds (4:00). Samford out-scored their hosts 23-14 over that span. Math? Who needs it?
- Prior to the Wofford game, the prior seven opponents shot a combined 56.3 percent (220-391) from the field. In the last two, Wofford and Samford were 48 of 125, 38.4 percent.
- Nat Dixon reached double figures in 19 of the 21 including 11 straight. He's tallied 17.6 points per game over that 11-game stretch raising his season average from 11.1 to a team-best 14.5 per contest.
