GAME NOTES | VIRTUAL BLUE OUT | ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs hit the season home stretch this week with the final two scheduled games on tap. The first is Wednesday night at Mercer with major conference tournament implications afoot. Chattanooga is currently fourth, while the Bears lurk in seventh. The top six get an opening round bye.
 
The first meeting was a tale of two halves with the Bears jumping out to a 19-point lead, 40-21, with 2:05 left in the first half. The Mocs closed with 10 straight points to head into halftime down nine. The momentum carried over with a 45-18 tidal wave over 14:46 of clock time to lead by as many as eight, 68-60.
 
It was still an eight-point margin heading into the final 2:30 (75-67). It narrowed to one late before two Darius Banks free throws preceded a rare missed three in the series by Ross Cummings as the Mocs escaped.
 
Malachi Smith leads the Mocs in scoring (16.5), rebounding (8.8) and assists (3.3). David Jean-Baptiste adds just over 16 points per contest as well. Cummings enters the contest as the top Bears scorer at 15 per game followed by Neftali Alvarez at 13.8.
 
Chattanooga is 7-3 over last 10 games. In the seven wins, the Mocs allowed just 54 second chance points (7.7/gm). The three losses? 50, nearly 24 percent of the opposition's output.
 
Watch on ESPN+ or listen on WFLI 97.7 FM/1070 AM in Chattanooga as well as the TuneIn app.
 
Game 25: Chattanooga (18-6/9-6) at Mercer (14-9/7-8)
Feb. 24 | 7 p.m. | Hawkins Arena (3,500)
 
TICKETS
Tickets are still available and can be purchased here or by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627). Limited supply remains. Student tickets are free (as always) but reservation is required here. All tickets are general admission this season with social distancing required between seat blocks.
 
The games air on ESPN+ or 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.
 
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TV: ESPN+. Frank Malloy (PxP) & Phil Cox (analyst)
 
RADIO: WFLI 97.7 FM/1070 AM. Jim Reynolds is in his 41st year as the "Voice of the Mocs". The audio broadcast is also available on the TuneIn app.   
 
vs. MERCER
82nd meeting | Record: 41-40 | Home: 23-13 | Away: 15-26 | Neutral: 3-1 | SoCon Regular Season: 7-6
Last Meeting: STORY | STATS | NOTES | QUOTES | PHOTOS
- How old is the series? The first meeting was Feb. 12, 1921. The Mocs-Bears 1-1 record in SoCon Tournament play were in the 1922 and 1923 events. The two have not met in "modern times" in the league tourney.
- 7-6 regular season record since the Bears entered the league in 2014-15.
- 4-3 at home and 3-3 on the road.
- The total score in the six SoCon meetings in Hawkins Arena? 424-419, an average final of 71-70. Before last year's nine-point win, the first five margins were all within six points with three in OT: 2015, 2016 & 2018.
- 81 all-time meetings ranks 6th all-time behind Samford (105), Western Carolina (97), ETSU (93), Furman (91) and The Citadel (87).
- Tied the school record for largest comeback in first meeting trailing by as many as 19 late in the first half of the 83-80 victory.
 
COACHES
Chattanooga: Lamont Paris (Wooster '96) | UTC: 60-62 (4th season) | Career: Same | vs. Mercer: 3-4
Mercer: Greg Gary (Tulane '92) | Mercer: 30-24 (2nd) | Career: 46-68 (4th) | vs. UTC: 1-2
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW
- Chattanooga needs two wins in its final two games for 20 wins in the regular season. It would be the 13th time in school history winning 20 before postseason play and first since 2015-16.
- 9-3 on the road this season. Won 13 of last 17.
- A win at Mercer gets the Mocs to 10 road wins this season for just the second time in school history. The other? 11-4 in 2015-16.
 
3 STATS TO KNOW
- The Mocs are top 10 in the nation in wins (T6, 18), free throw percentage (8th, 79.0%) and personal fouls per game (9th, 14.4) leading the SoCon in each category.
- +52 (123-71) in points off turnovers over last nine with a +23 turnover margin. Averaging 9.5 TOs per SoCon game.
- 14-1 this season & 29-5 over last two when holding opponents below 70 points. Mercer averages 78.3 points per game and tallied 80 in first meeting.
 
NEXT 3 OPPONENTS
Feb. 27: VMI, cancelled | Current Record: 12-11/7-7 | Next Opp.: at SoCon Tournament (March 5-8)
Regular season completed
Ingles SoCon Championship presented by General Shale is March 5-8 in Asheville, N.C.
 
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