STATS |
NOTES |
QUOTES |
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
BIRMINGHAM---The Chattanooga Mocs had a little déjà vu all over again in their 70-64 win at Samford Wednesday night. The Mocs limited their opponent to a season-low 22 first-half points for the second straight game and then saw them catch fire in the second.
The key tonight was not getting burned. After Logan Dye's floater with 14:31 on the clock gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead, 38-32, but the Mocs had answers.
Jamaal Walker drove into the paint and was blocked by Jacob Tryon. He battled for the rebound and then found
A.J. Caldwell in the corner for three. After a defensive stop, Walker found the bottom of the net to get within one, 38-37.
Caldwell added another triple and the lead was back on the side of the good guys, but there was still 12:06 on the clock.
The Mocs threatened to pull away but Samford kept it close. It was a three-point game within two minutes.
Malachi Smith drove, found
KC Hankton who spun quickly and aggressively for the layup.
A Samford turnover turned into this moment.
David Jean-Baptiste got the matchup he wanted off a switched screen to seemingly put it out of reach, 66-58.
A.J. Staton-McCray hit a three, and the Bulldogs followed two
Malachi Smith free throws with a Jaron Rillie three-point play to get within four, 68-64. But that's as close as it would get.
Smith was succinct and to the point in what got his side the win.
"I think it was our defensive effort," he opined on the postgame show. "I think we did a good job in the first half. And then their run, we weren't getting stops, and they were getting offensive rebounds. Coach told us to get back to getting stops and lock in defensively, and obviously we came out with the win."
Smith led all scorers with 16 points narrowly missing his ninth double-double with nine rebounds. Jean-Baptiste and
Darius Banks had 12 apiece, while Caldwell netted 10. Dye paced the Bulldogs with 13. Preston Parks totaled 12 as Staton-McCray added 11.
Chattanooga returns home to host UNC Greensboro on Saturday. Tipoff is at Noon on ESPN+ and over the airwaves in Chattanooga via WFLI 97.7 FM and 1070 AM. Links for video, audio and live stats for each contest is located on the men's basketball schedule page.
RECORDS
Chattanooga 12-4/3-4 | Samford 6-8/2-5
QUOTABLE
"They got after it and had momentum going. We loosened up a little bit offensively. We started screening to relieve some pressure. And then we got in a groove where we got the ball inside a couple times, drew a couple fouls, got in the bonus. I don't think there was one particular thing to me, specifically. As I watch it as a spectator tomorrow, it'll probably feel more like there was something specific." –
Coach Lamont Paris on what turned the tide in the second half
"It felt like the monkey was off my back a little bit. It really was my mom because ever since being 0-for-6, she's been texting me every day to shoot more free throws. She didn't care about anything else. She didn't care if I was eating dinner, or anything. She just kept telling me to shoot more free throws, shoot more free throws, shoot more free throws. I can thank her for that. It was nice to see a couple go down." –
A.J. Caldwell on snapping cold streak at the FT line
Check out all we heard at the link above.
3 NOTES TO KNOW
- The win is the 66th in the series with Samford which dates back to Feb. 12, 1926. It's the longest running with any opponent and ties Western Carolina for second-most win against behind The Citadel (67). Chattanooga's won four in a row and seven of the last eight.
- Nine straight wins over Alabama institutions including three this year (UAB & Samford twice). The last loss was 80-76 in OT at Samford on Feb. 16, 2019.
- 6-2 on the road this season. The Mocs have won 10 of last 13 away contests.
Check out all the notables at the link above.
3 STATS TO KNOW
- Darius Banks' 6-6 performance at the free throw line gives him 10 in a row to start his Mocs career. That's the seventh this season of 10 or more: David Jean-Baptiste (20), Stefan Kenić (19), Kenić (15), Malachi Smith (12), Smith (11) and Trey Doomes (10).
- Impressive stat of the night is a 25-12 advantage in points off turnovers against a pressing team finishing +6 in TO margin (14/20).
- After giving up a season-high 40 first half points to Mercer, the Mocs surrendered just 44 over the next two games with 22 each to Wofford and tonight at Samford.
Take a deeper dive into the numbers at the link above.
SERIES
Meetings: 105th
Record: 66-39 (23-27 Away)
SoCon Regular Season: 19-7 (7-6 Away)
SOCON SCOREBOARD
ETSU 59, at Western Carolina 48
Mercer 83, at The Citadel 63
at VMI 74, Furman 73
NEXT 3 OPPONENTS
Jan. 23: UNC Greensboro, Noon | Current Record: 9-5/4-2 | Next Opp:
at Chattanooga (Jan. 23)
Jan. 27: at ETSU, 7 p.m. | Current Record: 8-5/4-1 | Next Opp: Furman (Jan. 23)
Jan. 30: at Furman, Noon | Current Record: 10-4/4-1 | Next Opp: at ETSU (Jan. 23)
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