2021-22 Chattanooga Mocs Men's Basketball
Game 1 – at Loyola Marymount
Nov. 9 – Gersten Pavilion – Los Angeles, Calif.
Postgame Notes
 
GENERAL
- The Chattanooga Mocs opened the 2021-22 season with a 75-64 at Loyola Marymount…it was the season opener for both programs.
- 55-38 all-time opening the season…11-37 starting out on the road…won four of the last six including wins at Georgia (2015) and Tennessee (2016).
- First time opening the season in the state of California or against a school from the Golden State…farthest westerly trek to begin a campaign is the 1992 Great Alaska Shootout losing in the opening round, 75-65, to New Mexico State on Nov. 26.
- The Mocs extend their school record non-conference win streak to 13 games…streak began on with the Dec. 15, 2019 84-80 overtime win over Troy.
- The win snaps LMU's 14-game win streak in season openers.
- 3-0 all-time on Nov. 9…wins in 2007 – 120-59 over Covenant – and 2019 – 59-57 over Tennessee State…Covenant was the 2007-08 season opener.
- 1360-1107 in season No. 103…45th campaign as a DI program with a 814-538 ledger.
- 26 points for David Jean-Baptiste and 21 by Malachi Smith mark the first 20-point efforts in an opener since the duo of Justin Tuoyo '16 & Tre McLean '16 had 22 and 21, respectively, in the 82-69 Nov. 11, 2016 win at Tennessee…both had double-doubles with 11 boards by Tuoyo and 10 for McLean…Jean-Baptiste was a redshirting freshman on that squad…more on Jean-Baptiste's and Smith's nights below.
- Trailed 42-38 with 16:37 left in the game…took the lead for good with a 10-0 run…Smith's jumper at 15:07 gave the Mocs the lead for good.
- Lead rose to 10 before the Lions roared back to within two at 61-59 at 1:43 on a Lamaj Lewis layup…closed on a 14-5 run for the 11-point triumph beginning with DJB's fifth three of the game off a great look by Smith.
- UTC is ranked No. 21 and LMU sits No. 22 in the initial Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25.
- "Voice of the Mocs" Jim Reynolds begins his 42nd season on the mic for Mocs basketball…knowing J.R., he's looking for a sequel of the movie "42" which was filmed at Historic Engel Stadium in Chattanooga and in which he "starred" as an umpire.
 
SERIES
All-Time Meetings: 1 | Record: 1-0 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0

• Just the fifth game against a West Coast Conference opponent (3-2): Pepperdine (1-1), San Francisco (1-0) & Santa Clara (0-1).
• Last trip to California? Nov. 24, 2013, a 106-65 loss at UCLA.
• Last game left of the Mississippi River? The first game of the Lamont Paris Era, a 74-65 hard-fought loss at Wyoming on Nov. 10, 2017.

 
COACH
Lamont Paris (College of Wooster '96)
Record: 61-64

• Home: 35-21 | Away: 22-37 | Neutral: 4-6
• vs. LMU: 1-0 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 1-0
• Season Openers: 3-2 | Home: 1-0 | Away: 2-2 | Neutral: 0-0

 
INDIVIDUAL
- 26 points for David Jean-Baptiste...most points in an opener since Ashley Champion's 30-point effort on Nov. 22, 2002 in a 68-66 triumph at Samford…10th career 20pt night…5-9 from 3pt range, his 31st game with three or more treys…67th game with 10 or more points.
- 21 points by Malachi Smith…game-high four assists…9-11 from the FT line…7th 20-point night and 31st in double figures.
- Silvio DeSousa was slowed by foul trouble…five points and five rebounds in 11 minutes of action.
- Darius Banks had a team-high seven rebounds…just the second time leading the Mocs on the boards but 17th career including his three years at James Madison.