CHATTANOOGA --- After concluding non-conference play last week, the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball is set to kick off Southern Conference action on Thursday night when it travels to Charleston, S.C., to face The Citadel. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ inside McAlister Field House.
Chattanooga (8-5, 0-0 SoCon) is looking to bounce back after suffering a pair of losses to Belmont and Georgia to round out the non-conference slate. The Mocs dropped a 72-65 decision in Athens last Wednesday following a tough 82-78 overtime loss at home to Belmont prior.
Jake Stephens continues to pace the Southern Conference in scoring (21.5ppg) and rebounding (10.3rpg) after a stellar start to the 2022-23 campaign. The five-time SoCon Player of the Week honoree currently ranks 10
th in NCAA Division I in points per game and sits seventh in overall scoring (280 points).
Chattanooga ranks third in NCAA DI this season with a 12.1 threes made per game average while sitting second in three-point attempts per game at a 30.8 average. The squad has produced a high effective field-goal percentage this season (57.4%) which ranks 16
th among all NCAA DI teams.
The Citadel (5-7, 0-0 SoCon) aims to snap a four-game skid after starting off the season under new (and former) head coach Ed Conroy with a 5-3 record. The Bulldogs have played to a 2-2 record at home in 2022-23 and are led by senior Austin Ash, who ranks third in scoring in the SoCon this season with a 16.2 points per game average.
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 (8-5, 0-0 SoCon) at The Citadel (5-7, 0-0 SoCon)
Thursday, Dec. 29 · 7 p.m. ET · Charleston, S.C. · McAlister Field House
ESPN+ ·
Listen ·
Live Stats
SERIES INFO
91
st Meeting · Record: 71-19 · Home: 38-6 · Away: 31-13 · Neutral: 2-0
Last Meeting: March 5, 2022 – W, 71-66 – Harrah's Cherokee Center (Asheville, N.C.) – SoCon Quarters
LAST TIME OUT
Chattanooga (8-5) led SEC-member Georgia for 34:48 out of the possible 40 minutes, but ultimately dropped a 72-65 decision to the Bulldogs in Athens last Wednesday. The Mocs were outscored 32-8 in points in the paint during the contest and suffered disadvantages in rebounding (35-32) and turnovers (13-11).
Jamal Johnson paced the squad with a career-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting (6-of-10 3PT).
CHATTANOOGA IN RECENT LEAGUE OPENERS
Chattanooga is 4-3 in its last seven SoCon openers dating back to the 2015-16 campaign. The last time the Mocs opened league play on the road at The Citadel was January 2, 2016 – an 84-78 victory inside McAlister Field House.
ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST FROM DEEP
Entering NCAA DI action on Wednesday (12/28), Chattanooga ranks No. 3 in NCAA Division I behind a 12.1 three-pointers per game average. The Mocs were ranked No. 1 sporadically over the last few weeks. Liberty leads with 12.3 threes per game.
EARL EFFECT FROM DEEP
Cornell (12.2 – 2nd), Chattanooga (12.1 – 3rd) and Penn State (11.3 - 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). Earl's former team, VMI, ranks sixth with a 11.2 per game average.
STEPHENS IN NATIONAL COMPARISON
How does
Jake Stephens' hot start compare to others around the country? Stephens is currently the only player in NCAA DI averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. He joins Purdue's Zach Edey as the only two players who are averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per contest. His scoring average of 21.5 points per game ranks 10
th in NCAA DI while his 280 total points is seventh most in Division I this season.
STEPHENS HISTORIC PERFORMANCE
Jake Stephens put on a historic performance in last Sunday's OT loss to Belmont. Stephens finished with 32 points and 20 rebounds to become the first Moc on record to ever post a 30-point, 20-rebound effort. He also added five assists, five blocks and three steals in the contest.
STEPHENS WEEKLY HONOR OUTBURST
After a week against MTSU and Belmont, Stephens averaged 28.0 points, 15.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.5 blocks per game and was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for the fourth-straight week and fifth time in the season's first six weeks. He joined Davidson legend and NBA superstar Steph Curry as the only two in SoCon history to win the award four-straight times.
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