STATS | NOTES | QUOTES | PHOTOS | ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
 
LOUISVILLE---The Chattanooga Mocs rolled into famed Freedom Hall 4-0 and left happy with a 77-68 triumph over Bellarmine. Despite leading for more than 34 minutes of game action, it wasn't easy.
 
For the fourth straight game, the Mocs overcame a second half deficit trailing by as many as three. The big run came down one, 53-52 with 11:02 remaining, outscoring their pesky hosts 19-7. Jamaal Walker's fifth three, and third of the spurt, made it a 71-60 lead with 3:03 to go. The Mocs never looked back.
 
"That was huge," Coach Lamont Paris shared. "Jamaal's three, which was huge…I think the clock was running down and he shot that with confidence. In a game like that, you feel like there's a touch of breathing room, but that's not the reality of it. That changes the whole complexion of the game.
 
"It takes a certain kind of team to grind and come back. A lot of things have to go your way at that point. That [run] was a pivotal exchange in determining the outcome of the game."
 
Walker and A.J. Caldwell each scored 15 making five threes apiece as Chattanooga accumulated a school-record tying 17. Malachi Smith led the way with 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. It's the fourth time in five contests he's registered a double-double. David Jean-Baptiste added 14 points and five assists.
 
Pedro Bradshaw led all scorers with 22 for Bellarmine. Dylan Penn chipped in 19 with six assists.
 
"I think the guys are confident, they should be confident because they have played pretty well," Paris added. "At the same time, we're not really in to making any profound statement about any sort of accomplishment or anything we've done. We haven't even established who we are as a team.
 
"I'm happy with the way we've played and the outcomes we've had. We've enjoyed playing with each other, being around each other, and we're looking forward to the next game. We know we haven't arrived, we haven't done anything except play well and that's the mantra."
 
This week's four-game gauntlet ends Saturday in the Roundhouse. North Georgia visits at 2 p.m., and begins a two-game home set with UNC Asheville coming to town next Wednesday. Links for video, audio and live stats for each contest is located on the men's basketball schedule page.
 
RECORDS
Chattanooga 5-0 | Bellarmine 1-2
 
QUOTABLE
"Right before the guys come out, on the board, they get a little bit of last-minute instruction. One of the things we talked about was taking whatever they gave us and not having your mind made up on what you wanted to do. We had an idea that threes would be something they committed to in giving up as opposed to drives to the rim. Every team has a different strategy. They don't let the ball get in the paint very easily off the dribble. You're going to be forced to take and make some threes. We shot the ball well and I thought we moved the ball well. I thought with the shots we took we were going to sink or swim. I wasn't going to change what we were doing with how high quality of three-point shots we were getting." – Lamont Paris' opening statement in his Zoom press conference
 
"It's very beneficial. These young guys have great confidence in themselves, and with that, it makes the team more confident. They'll keep playing hard and having confidence in themselves and it'll be great." – David Jean-Baptiste on impact on young players like Jamaal Walker
 
"It feels good knowing that coach believes in me. It just puts so much confidence in you and it's an amazing feeling. It feels like we're 5-0. It's as good as you can start a season. We have a lot of stuff we still need to work on." – Walker on his early season playing time
 
Check out all we heard at the link above.

3 NOTES TO KNOW

• The Chattanooga program has deep ties to Louisville. The great '70s teams that carried the Mocs into DI featured the likes of Louisville natives Wayne Golden, William Gordon, Gary Stitch, Kevin Gray and Herbert "Book" McCray among others. Three top players from the '90s – Tim Brooks, Keith Nelson & Gary Robb – signed with Chattanooga from Sullivan Junior College in Louisville.
• Program win No. 800 as a DI program. This is the 44th season at basketball's highest level.
• Seventh 5-0 start in school history and first since 1987-88. The other five: 1929, 1930, 1972-73, 1973-74 & 1974-75.

Check out all the notables at the link above.
 
3 STATS TO KNOW

• +42 from the 3pt line with 51 points to the Knights nine.
• Bellarmine had a 40-12 advantage on points in the paint.
• 90.9 percent (10-11) from the free throw line. 31 of 37 (83.8%) over last two games.

Take a deeper dive into the numbers at the link above.
 
SOCON SCOREBOARD
at Cincinnati 78, Furman 73
at The Citadel 102, Carver 51
 
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