Mocs Win Fifth in a Row 63-56 at Samford

BIRMINGHAM—(GOMOCS.COM) The Chattanooga Mocs won their fifth straight with a 63-56 triumph at Samford. The Mocs improve to 18-3, 7-1 atop the Southern Conference, while the Bulldogs’ record evens to 11-11.

It was a tough night offensively shooting 35.6 percent (21-59) from the field and a season-low 16.7 percent (3-16) from 3pt range.

“There’s a lot of teams out there, and even team’s I’ve been a part of, that get completely consumed on offense,” coach Matt McCall said. “Is the ball going in the basket? We didn’t do that tonight. I’m just really proud of our guys because that’s human nature right there. And you have to fight human nature.

“If the ball’s not going into the basket, can you still find a way to win? We did that tonight, and I’m just really proud of our guys for that. They dug in. We got stops. We got rebounds. We made free throws.

He continued, “I can’t say we were taking bad shots, because I thought we were getting really, really good ones. They just weren’t going in, but we didn’t let it affect us.”

Justin Tuoyo tied for game-high honors with 15 points. Tre’ McLean added 12 points with career highs of 10 rebounds and four steals. Duke Ethridge had 11.

Christen Cunningham matched Tuoyo’s 15 for the Bulldogs. Darius Jones-Gibson chipped in 14, while Wyatt Walker contributed 11 points and 14 boards.

Chattanooga led by as many as 11 in the second half. It was a 10-point game, 50-40, on an Ethridge layup at 8:37. The hosts went on an 11-4 spurt getting within three, 54-51, after Walker’s put-back with 3:02 to play.

The Mocs won it at the free throw line. They scored their final 11 points at the charity stripe including eight of 10 in the final minute-plus. That was coupled with getting stops on five of the last seven Samford possessions.

“We knew coming in, we preached the whole time that if shots don’t fall, don’t get down,” Tuoyo shared. “We have to keep playing defense. We have to get rebounds, so we knew that coming in.

“Tonight was one of the nights where shots weren’t falling in. We didn’t put our head down. We all played defense and got shots when we needed to. That’s what made us win.”

UTC was +11 on the boards, 43-32. That included a season-best 17 on the offensive end. It was +2 in turnover margin (9/11) with a 17-11 advantage in points off turnovers.

“Tre’ had four steals,” McCall added talking about team-wide contributions. “He ends up with 12 points and 10 rebounds. I thought he did a terrific job on the glass. Justin Tuoyo goes for 15 and seven. Dee Oldham, the ball finds him. Rebounding, it just finds him.

“In fact, in the last possession of the game, defensively Reggie Witherspoon said ‘Let’s put Dee in for rebounding purposes.’ And I said, ‘Alright, let’s do it.’ What happened? Dee Oldham got a rebound. And he goes for seven points and nine rebounds.”

Chattanooga took an early lead and never relinquished it. It led for nearly 39 of the 40 minutes (38:50). It was three-point contest, 29-26, on a Matt Rose three at 3:26. The visitors scored the next six for a nine-point advantage, 35-26, on two McLean free throws, before Cunningham ended the opening frame scoring with a jumper with 30 seconds until halftime.

“I told the guys in the locker room before the game – a game like this on the road, Southern Conference, huge game for them, huge game for us – the team that comes out with more energy and the game is more important to, is the team that’s going to have success,” McCall concluded. “The last couple of games on the road we went into the half down. I think this is the first Southern Conference game all season where we went into the half with a lead.

“I thought that was big, us just getting a great start in the game.”

The first-place Mocs return home to host The Citadel Monday night. Game time is 7 p.m. Tickets are available at GoMocs.com or by calling the ticket office at 266-MOCS (6627). The game airs on the SoCon Digital Network and the Mocs Sports Network through 96.1 the Legend FM in Chattanooga.

The UTC ticketing and marketing staffs have two special ticket deals for the final six SoCon contests this season. Fans can purchase a lower level ticket for $60. For the more adventurous types, there is the “Mocs Win, You Win” offer. The ticket costs $30 and is good for the next game as long as the Mocs win at home where they sport an 8-0 mark on the year.