STATS | NOTES | QUOTES | PHOTOS | ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
 
OXFORD---The Chattanooga Mocs could not hold off a second-half surge from Ole Miss losing 90-70 in the Pavilion at Ole Miss Sunday evening. The Scenic City visitors took an early second-half advantage, but their hosts dominated both ends of the court over a six-minute period to earn the win.
 
David Jean-Baptiste led the Mocs with 15 points. Jonathan Scott added 14 and a game-high seven rebounds, while Ramon Vila chipped in a career-best 10 points off the bench. The Rebels duo of Terence Davis and Breein Tyree scored 20 apiece with Davis also recording seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Back-to-back Jean-Baptiste three-pointers put the good guys up six, 45-39, with 16:52 minutes remaining in the contest. It capped a 22-5 run over seven-plus minutes of clock time dating back to an 11-point deficit, 34-23, with just over four minutes to go in the first half.
 
The momentum shifted quickly. The Rebels out-scored their visitors 28-0 beginning with a Davis three. It was the first of four straight 3pt possessions. In all, the hosts scored on 10 of their next 12 trips to the offensive end before Thomas Smallwood's three-point play at 10:14 ended the slide. A.J. Caldwell's three with 9:07 left cut the margin to 16.
 
"We turned the ball over in a six-minute stretch and that really hurt," Coach Lamont Paris acknowledged. "We started pressing the paint and took some quick shots. We didn't perform around the basket and just didn't make it happen. But, even still, as whatever it was, as bad as it felt, as bad as it had gotten, a young team has to learn. I thought we looked up and saw 16 points and didn't see it as it was.
 
"We saw slam dunks, we saw crowd, we didn't see it as it was, and that affected how we performed."
 
It got back to 16 again on a Vila layup at 7:30. It got no closer. The pivotal stretch was the 28-0 run over 6:38. The remaining 33:22? The Mocs out-scored their SEC opponent 70-62.
 
Chattanooga ends their 3-game road trip Tuesday at UT Martin. The game airs on ESPN+ at 8:30 p.m., Eastern time. They complete the pre-holiday slate at home with a lunch date with Bryan. The businessperson special is a Noon start on Friday, Dec. 21. Tickets are available on GoMocs.com or by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627).
 
RECORDS
Chattanooga 5-7 | Ole Miss 8-2
 
SERIES
The Mocs trail 2-7 in the series…0-3 in Oxford.
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW
Check out the full complement of notes at the link above.

• The Mocs took a 39-37 lead into halftime…fourth straight game against SEC competition with the lead at intermission…led 39-31 at Georgia to begin 2015-16 campaign, 34-29 in 2016-17 opener at Tennessee and 38-34 at Vandy in Dec. 2016…won at UGA and UT.
• 17 or more assists in each of the last five games…94 total, 18.8 per game…assisted on 19 of the 27 made shots (70.4%).
• Chattanooga has made 11 or more threes in each of the last four games…54-128 over that span…42.2 percent.

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

• Tale of two halves shooting the ball for Chattanooga…first-half numbers: 59.7 percent FG (16-27) and 60.0 percent 3pt (6-10)…second half: 36.5 percent FG (11-31) and 45.5 percent 3pt (5-11)…16 for 37 (43,2%) INSIDE the arc, while shooting 52.4 percent outside it.
• 10 assists for Donovann Toatley tonight is a season-high by a Moc…previous high was six set in each of the last two contests by Jerry Johnson, Jr., in the win over VMI and this Wednesday at Georgia State by David Jean-Baptiste…first double-digit assist game since Rodney Chatman's 14 at Jacksonville State last December.
• 61.5 percent (32-52) shooting for Ole Miss…an arena record for the Rebels topping 61.1 percent in November vs. San Diego…just the third season for the Pavilion at Ole Miss.

 
QUOTABLE
Check out all of what we heard at the quotes link above.
"We moved the ball and took care of the ball while attacking in our spots. I thought we had a few plays in that stretch that we didn't make that could have put ourselves in a better spot. We moved the ball well and it led to high quality shots. We made some of those and it helped." – Coach Lamont Paris on what got the Mocs the lead early in the second half.
 
"It feels amazing. I've been out for a year and two months. I live basketball in my own way. I enjoy every basket and celebrate my own way every time. The first time, I was kind of nervous seeing it coming. Now, I feel confident and with this team, the way we played at Georgia State and how we did in the first half today, we can do great things." – Sophomore Ramon Vila after playing just his second game after transferring last January from Arizona State..
 
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
Tuesday, Dec. 18: at UT Martin, 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 21: Bryan, Noon
Saturday, Dec. 29: at UNCG, 5 p.m.
 
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
Duane Moss – Dwight
 
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