The Chattanooga Mocs basketball team showed its desire to go inside this year in the Memorial Blue-Gold Tipoff Presented by Praters tonight. The Gold team topped the Blue with forwards Drazen Zlovaric and Z. Mason taking top billing.
In two 10 minute periods, Zlovaric and Mason combined for 18 points. Zlovaric scored 10 starring for the Gold, while Mason scored eight points and grabbed five boards playing the first period with the Blue and the second with the Gold.
Casey Jones and Martynas Bareika played three for both squads switching sides at the break. The duo combined for 13 points and five rebounds on the night.
Eric Robertson and Gee McGhee showed flashes playing the two. Each hit two threes and together accounted for 19 points and six boards going head-to-head most of the night.
Ronrico White had eight points tonight playing the one along with Farad Cobb who was credited in nine points, three assists and two steals. Alex Bran had a game-high four assists to go with three points making his lone three-point attempt.
Practice players Montel Lavlanet and Roger Huntley made it into the game as well. Neither is on the active roster and are just practicing at this time, so neither were on the game roster prior to tipoff. Lavlanet made quite a stir with a couple of baskets as Huntley brought his high-energy to the court as well.
Nearly 1,000 fans made it out on a chilly Tuesday night. Where’s Waldo, Cruella de Ville and one of her Dalmations made it entering the student costume contest that Waldo won by a nose over the Dalmation.
“It was a fun night,” said Head Coach John Shulman. “Our guys got a chance to play under the lights and hopefully give our fans a glimpse of what we see in them every day in practice. I keep saying this and I truly believe it…I think we have a chance to be pretty good this year.
“We got the ball inside and we are developing our identity which is to defend and rebound,” Shulman added. “We can’t wait to get started with Tennessee Temple.”
Chattanooga and TTU open the season on Monday, November 12, in McKenzie Arena. After a trip to Kansas on the 15th, the Mocs return home to host the CBE Classic Chattanooga Sub-Regional. It is a round-robin event with Louisiana Tech, Southeast Missouri and Troy coming to the Scenic City Sunday through Tuesday, November 18-20.
