STATS | NOTES | QUOTES | PHOTOS | ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs hit a season-high 13 three-pointers in this afternoon's 71-60 win over Tennessee Tech in McKenzie Arena. Considering it came in just 29 attempts, a robust 44.8 percent rate, you'd think Coach Lamont Paris would be effusive in his praise.
 
He was…but it was on another subject.
 
"We held this team to 60, and that was with a layup at the buzzer," Paris began clearly focused on a strong, consistent defensive effort. "If you keep a team in the 50s, you give yourself a great chance to win a game. We've been stressing that to our guys.
 
"That's what I was most impressed with today, competing on the defensive end."
 
Jerry Johnson, Jr., led a quarter of double figure scorers with 14. Maurice Commander had 13, while David Jean-Baptiste and Kevin Easley contributed 11 apiece. Chattanooga native Jr. Clay led all scorers with 15 off the bench for Tennessee Tech.
 
The Mocs jumped out early and led by as many as 19 in the opening frame and 17 at halftime, 40-23, on a buzzer-beater by Commander from way downtown. That lead stayed in double digits through a majority of the second 20.
 
It was a 15-point cushion, 65-50, with 5:40 left when Tennessee Tech went very aggressive with its full-court pressure. The Mocs turned it over a few times and managed just a free throw over next three-and-a-half minutes. The Golden Eagles shaved the lead to eight, 66-58, on Hunter Vick's layup with 2:22 remaining.
 
Seventeen seconds later, Keigan Kerby had the ball at the top of the key. He zipped a pass to a cutting Jean-Baptiste whose reverse layup put it back to a 10-point advantage, 68-58 and calmed the nerves. The Mocs made three straight defensive stops before Clay's layup at the final horn ended the contest.
 
It was a fast start for the Gig City lads. They scored on five of their first seven possessions for 13-2 lead just over four minutes into it. After the visitors narrowed the margin to six, back-to-back 3s from Johnson and Commander got it back to double figures. It stayed there for more than 26 minutes of game time as Chattanooga controlled the contest on the defensive end of the court while making timely shots.
 
The Mocs complete the three-game home stand next Sunday with a visit from VMI. The Southern Conference opener for both teams, it airs on ESPN+ with a 1 p.m., start time. Tickets are available on GoMocs.com or by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627).
 
RECORDS
Chattanooga 4-5 | Tennessee Tech 1-7
 
SERIES
The Mocs trail 18-42 in the series…13-13 in Chattanooga.
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW
Check out the full complement of notes at the link above.

• 60th meeting between the two schools, but just the 16th since the Mocs move to Division I in 1977-78…third-longest non-conference series in school history behind Tennessee Wesleyan (65) and Samford (64 before joining the SoCon in 2008-09).
• Third-fewest points this season for Tennessee Tech following 33 at No. 11 Michigan State and 58 at No. 7 North Carolina.
• It was a wire-to wire win for the Mocs scoring the first basket of the game on a Kevin Easley 3pt and never looked back…first time since the 67-50 win over Alabama State on Nov. 20 last year.

 
3 STATS TO KNOW
Check out the full stats at the link above.

• 13 threes today are a season high…most since making 14 at home against Wofford on Feb. 17, 2018.
• Sticking with the 3s, 30 of Chattanooga's 40 first half points came from beyond the arc, but just nine of 31 in the second…took 22 first-half 3s, but just seven, making three (43%) after intermission.
• 19 of the 24 field goals today were assisted…ties season-high 19 assists from Tuesday's win…79.2 assist percentage is by far the highest of the season.

 
QUOTABLE
Check out all of what we heard at the quotes link above.
"Bench production is always important. That's two games in a row where they produced. It's always great to get comfortable with those guys out there and what they're going to provide. I though we got great productivity out of those guys especially Keigan (Kerby). I thought he was really, really good. Not because he was able to make a couple of shots, but I think he's shown consistent progress from the time he got here." – Coach Lamont Paris on the play of his bench today.
 
"We think about it one game at a time just trying to improve game-to-game. I thought it was very important going into the Hiwassee game that we play well, whatever that looked like on the scoreboard. I thought we built on that into this game, especially defensively. We keep trying to emphasize improving every day, maturing as a team every day." – Paris when asked about carrying momentum into conference play.
 
DRIVE FOR 25
The Mocs Club began its "Drive for 25" campaign recently. It aims to raise $25,000 in scholarship funds for UTC student-athletes to which an anonymous donor has generously agreed to match. There is also a "Drive for 25" raffle. For each gift at the below giving levels, donors will automatically be entered into drawing for the Mocs Club Raffle:

• $250 and above donors: Official UTC gear (2 winners)
• $500 and above donors: Signed Terrell Owens football (2 winners)
• $1,000 and above donors: 2 courtside seats to a mutually agreed upon home basketball game (2 winners)
• $2,500 and above donors: Official UTC Helmet (1 winner)
• $5,000 and above donors: Accompany the UTC Men's Basketball team to one mutually agreed upon away game

 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Sunday, Dec. 9: VMI, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 12: at Georgia State, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 16: at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
 
SOCON SCOREBOARD
at The Citadel 79, Mercer 69
at No. 9 Kentucky 78, UNCG 61
at Longwood 65, VMI 45
Western Carolina at Furman (late)
ETSU at Wofford (late)
 
GOMOCS.COM IN A WORD FEATURE SERIES
David Jean-Baptiste – Engaged
Thomas Smallwood – Dad
Rod Johnson – Mayor
Kevin Easley – Goofy
Justin Brown – Waffle
Jerry Johnson, Jr. – Buckets
Jonathan Scott – Energy
Keigan Kerby – Hair
 
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