CHATTANOOGA --- The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team looks for its seventh-straight victory when it hosts in-state opponent Belmont for the first time since 2005 on Sunday afternoon inside McKenzie Arena.
Tip-off for Sunday's matinee is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+. It's Ugly Sweater Day inside the Roundhouse with the first 200 fans receiving FREE ugly sweater t-shirts.
Chattanooga (8-3) is coming off an 82-73 victory on the road over Middle Tennessee on Thursday night, snapping the Blue Raiders 20-game home win streak in the process. UTC went wire-to-wire for the third-straight game as the Mocs have not trailed for the last 135:07 of game time dating back to December 3rd's win at Gardner-Webb.
The win catapulted UTC 42 spots in the latest NET Rankings from No. 140 to No. 98 as the victory marked the team's first Quad 2 or better win of the season. The Mocs are currently the Southern Conference's highest ranked team in the NET.
Jake Stephens led the team in scoring on Thursday for the seventh-straight game after posting 24 points and 11 rebounds to notch his sixth double-double of the season. All five starters reached double figures in scoring with
Dalvin White (15),
Jamal Johnson (15),
Demetrius Davis (13) and AJ Caldwell (10) rounding out the bunch.
Belmont (6-5, 1-1 MVC) enters the game on Sunday looking to bounce back from an 85-75 OT home loss last Saturday to a common opponent in Middle Tennessee. The Bruins have dropped two of their last three after winning four-straight over the Thanksgiving holiday season.
Fans can watch the game LIVE on ESPN+ through the Watch ESPN and ESPN App platforms or fans can also listen LIVE on WFLI 96.1 FM/100.3 FM/ 1070AM in Chattanooga as well as the Varsity Network app.
GAME INFO
Chattanooga (8-3) vs. Belmont (6-5, 1-1 MVC)
Sunday, Dec. 18 · 2 p.m. ET · McKenzie Arena (10,995)
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GAME NOTES
Chattanooga ·
Belmont ·
SoCon
SERIES INFO
Ninth Meeting · Record: 5-3 · Home: 3-1 · Away: 2-2 · Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: December 15, 2021 – L, 68-76 – Curb Event Center (Nashville, Tenn.)
TICKET INFORMATION - BUY NOW
Single game tickets starting as low as $10! Single game tickets may be purchased by visiting the link above, calling The McKenzie Arena ticket office at
423-266-MOCS (6627), or stop by in-person at the Gate 3 ticket office.
Normal business hours for the box office are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The Box Offices located at Gates 2 and 3 will open on game day 90 minutes prior to tip-off for on-site sales. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid lines on the day of game. Fans are also encouraged to choose Print-at-Home or Mobile Delivery for their purchased tickets.
MINI-PLAN TICKET PACKAGES
Mini-plan packages are ON SALE NOW for both the men's and women's teams, so get yours today by clicking
HERE. Other purchasing options include visiting the McKenzie Arena Box Office (Gate 2) or by calling 423-266-MOCS (6627) during business hours of Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Southern Conference Pack · BUY NOW
Get ALL NINE Southern Conference matchups starting at just $80 (200 level gold circle baseline). 200 level gold circle corner seats are listed at $90 per ticket.
Southern Conference Saturday Pack · BUY NOW
Looking for just weekend games? Snag all four Saturday SoCon matchups that include VMI, ETSU, Mercer and UNCG. 200 level gold circle corner seats are $40 per ticket while the baseline option is $30.
LAST TIME OUT
Chattanooga (8-3) earned its sixth-straight victory after downing Middle Tennessee 82-73 on the road on Thursday night. UTC snapped MTSU's 20-game win streak inside the Murphy Center.
Jake Stephens posted 24 points and 11 rebounds to notch his sixth double-double of the season. The Mocs went wire-to-wire for the third-straight game and has led for 118:52/120:00 in that span.
CHATTANOOGA IN THE STAT RANKINGS (12/17)
CATEGORY # NCAA DI RANK
Three-Pointers Per Game 11.8 3rd
Assists Per Game 16.9 26th
Field Goal Percentage 47.9 60th
Three-Point Attempts Per Game 29.8 5th
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio 1.43 34th
Three-Point Percentage 39.6 24th
Dalvin White (A/TO Ratio) 4.67 2nd
Jake Stephens (Def. Reb./Gm) 8.27 6th
Jake Stephens (Points/Gm) 21.6 9th
Jake Stephens (Double-Doubles) 6 6th
ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST FROM DEEP
Entering NCAA DI action on Saturday (12/17), Chattanooga ranks No. 3 in NCAA Division I behind an 11.8 three-pointers per game average. The Mocs were ranked No. 1 the previous two weeks before seeing its average drop slightly after Thursday's win at MTSU. Cornell & Utah State lead at 11.9 3PT per game.
EARL EFFECT FROM DEEP
Cornell (11.9 - 1st), Chattanooga (11.8 - 3rd) and Penn State (11.7 - 4th) rank among the nation's top three-point shooting teams. Cornell is led by Dan Earl's younger brother Brian while Penn State is Earl's alma mater (1997).
CAPTURING THE LEAD AND HOLDING IT
Chattanooga has captured wire-to-wire victories in each of its last three games and has led for a combined 118:52 out of a possible 120:00 in that span. Factoring in its second-half comeback at Gardner-Webb on 12/3, UTC has not trailed in the last 135:07 of game time.
BIG JUMP IN THE NET
Following Chattanooga's win at Middle Tennessee on Thursday, the Mocs jumped 42 spots in the latest NET Rankings after earning the Quad 2 win. UTC jumped from No. 140 to No. 98 as the SoCon's top ranked team.
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