UTC Basketball: D-I Era Shows 700 Plus Wins

Heart stopping buzzer beaters, staggering comebacks, monumental upsets and more as the Chattanooga Mocs have won 700 plus games in 38 seasons.

Legendary Heroes such as Chris Mims put back basket as key to the Sweet 16 run in 1997 to the Lamar Miracle with Gerald Wilkins and Lamar Oden in the NIT under coach Murray Arnold to Ronrico White's fade away 3 to edge UNCG this season and more ... Dontay Hampton who put a dagger in the heart of App State not once but twice with late game baskets and Nick Morken who blocked a shot in waning seconds in 1981 to secure first SoCon title ...

 Upsets of Tennessee on the road, Georgia Dawgs in OT in the NIT in the Roundhouse, Georgia and Illinois in the NCAA .... big rivalry wins against Marshall and East Tennessee State.

Here are some key wins for each from the seven UTC coaches in the D-I Era, plus The Voice of the Mocs (JIm Reynolds) and longtime p.a. announcer Scott McMahen give their take on some of the great wins.

* Jim Reynolds, Voice of the Mocs

March 16, 1997 – No.14 UTC 75, No.6 Illinois 63 – NCAA Round of 32

“Hello Cinderella” …. Chris Mims’ double-double (12 pts., 12 rebs) and Willie Young (15 pts.) lead the No. 14 Mocs to an improbable upset of No.6 seeded Fighting Illini … Mocs had beaten No.3 Georgia and lost to No.7 Providence in Sweet 16

March 2, 1997- UTC 71, Marshall 70 OT – SoCon Title Game

“Chris Mims’ stick back in OT (off a missed shot by Johnny Taylor) puts Mocs on Sweet 16 path” …

Mims (16 pts., 10 rebs., 8 offensive rebounds) also forces OT with a basket late in regulation to tie, 64-64.

March 12, 1982 – UTC 58, N.C. State 51 …
“First NCAA tournament win over coach Jimmy V” …. Russ Shoene (15), Nick Morken (15), Willie White (12) lead Mocs in scoring to beat Jim Valvano’s Wolfpack in first round of NCAAs a year before N.C. State would beat Phi Slama Jama for the NCAA title

March 7, 1981 – UTC 59, App. State 55 … SoCon Title Game
First SoCon title for Mocs … Nick Morken blocks a shot with seven seconds remaining and UTC up 57-55, gathers in the rebound and makes free throws to seal the win … Morken is tourney MVP … Mocs loses to Maryland in NCAAs … App. State coach is Bobby Cremins …

Dec. 5, 2004 – UTC 69, Tennessee 68 … on the road
“Just Because…”

Chris Brown hits late 3 for final lead and win … start of Mocs’ winning eight of next nine …

UTC has instate wins against Tennessee, Belmont (back-to-back road wins) …also has road wins vs. Austin Peay and East Tennessee State …

(see other UT game info under John Shulman’s highlights)

* Scott McMahen – P.A. Announcer - Home Basketball Games

February 6, 1997 – UTC 65, UAB 59: Wes Moore dives into the opposing bench (hitting a chair and the water cooler) to save a ball back to half court where a waiting Johnny Taylor catches it, takes two dribbles and brings the house down with sensational one-handed dunk to cap of a rare February out-of-conference game over a very good UAB squad 64-59. This is win # 400 in D-I Era ...

January 24, 2001 - UTC 101, Pikeville 85: “ know it was non-division I Pikeville College but 6'10" tennis star, from Gatlinburg-Pittman, Oliver Morton scored 50 points ... I know you’re saying he's 6'10" vs 6'6", at best, players from Pikeville but it's still 50 points. I've only seen one person ever score 50 points in a game with my own two eyes and that's Oliver Morton.”

January 14, 2010 - UTC 56, The Citadel 54
“Mired in the low scoring, methodical way that The Citadel likes to play, Mocs can’t get anything consistently going offensively... The game goes back and forth with one shot possessions and finally ... The Citadel make a shot with 5 seconds remaining and goes up 1, 54-53 ... Mocs inbound the ball to Keegan Bell he dribbles up the right side and right in front of my PA seat (at the scorers’ table) and drains a 3 at the buzzer for the 56-54 victory to set off pandemonium in the stands as the students and fans erupt for the win.”

December 22, 2001 – UTC 71, Murray State 58
“One of the best mid-major programs in America, Murray State, comes into McKenzie Arena and high flying Chattanooga Moc center Neil Ashby sets the Chattanooga Moc mark of 10 blocks in one game vs the Racers ... Ashby would have made Dick Vital's all high-rise team with double digits in swats in one game and the Mocs run the Racers out of the Roundhouse 71-58.”

The win was the start of a five-game Mocs winning streak.

* Ron Shumate (2 seasons, 1977-78 in D-I)

Nov.25, 1977 – UTC 66, La. Tech 64
First game for coach Shumate and UTC in the D-I Era

Darryl Yarbrough is only returning starter from 1977 NCAA D-II national championship team … scores 14 points as Mocs beat La. Tech for coach Shumate’s first win in D-I Era .. Kevin Galbraith hits two free throws with :01 remaining for the win in opening game of New Orleans Classic …

Coach Shumate and Mocs win Choo Choo Classics in Dec. 1977 and 1978

Dec. 29, 1977 – UTC 83, West Alabama 77 – Choo Choo Classic Title Game
William Wright is tourney MVP scoring 20 points with 15 boards vs. West Alabama … Yarbrough adds 12 points, four assists, four boards.

Overtime Success: Coach Shumate and Mocs wins all six overtime games in these two years, five by three or fewer points

Jan. 23, 1978 – UTC 110, East Carolina 101 OT
First OT win in D-I Era … Mocs trail by nine (83-74 at 9:29) in regulation, but rally to tie it at end of regulation and win in OT … Oliver Mack scores 41 points for East Carolina but UTC’s William Wright counters with 27 points and 15 boards … Former Central star Delta Brodgen adds 22 points, five rebounds five assists

Feb. 15 1979 – UTC 78, East Carolina 77 OT
Coach Shumate’s last win with the Mocs … Mocs’ Norman Anchrum scores 27 points with 16 rebounds … Mocs trail by 10 at half (40-30) but battle back and tie the game at end of regulation, 71-71.

* Murray Arnold (6 seasons; 1980 - 1985)

Saturday Dec 1, 1979 – UTC 84, Tenn. Wesleyan 76

Sunday Dec. 2 1979 – UTC 101, Texas Wesleyan 61
Coach Arnold’s first two wins at UTC …

It is the Battle of the Methodists as Chattanooga (originally founded as a Methodist college) takes out the two Wesleyan schools on back-to-back days at Big Mac … The Texas Wesleyan game is UTC’s first ever home Sunday afternoon game … Mocs shoot 58% in both games … UTC’s Edsel Brooks scores 18 and 23 against the Wesleyan schools, while Keith Parker adds 18 on Saturday and Skip Clark scores 17 on Sunday … all UTC games are broadcast on WDXB 1490 AM with Bill Nash and Jim Thrasher handling the broadcasts.

March 7, 1981 – UTC 59, App State 55 … SoCon Finals
First SoCon title for Mocs as UTC beat coach Bobby Cremins for school’s first ever NCAA D-I bid … Nick Morken (24 pts./8 rebs) blocks a potential game-tying shot with seven seconds remaining and then makes two free throws to seal the win … James Jones adds 10 points, five boards

March 12, 1982 – UTC 58, N.C. State 51 NCAA First Round
Russ Sheone and Nick Morken lead Mocs with 15 points each, with Willie White adding 12 to beat Wolfpack and coach Jim Valvano the year before they win it all and beat Phi Slama Jama …

Dec. 4, 1982 – UTC 94, Tenn. Wesleyan 47
First win in McKenzie Arena

Willie White has 22 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists in 27 minutes … Stanford Strickland adds 11 pts., seven boards before 4,1986

Jan. 2, 1984 – UTC 63, Tenn. Temple 51 … The Crusaders came in at 15-0 and defending NCCAA champs ... Mocs were 10-1 … Stanford Strickland leads all scorers with 19, followed by Gerald Wilkins (18) and Willie White (11)… Archie Barnes leads Temple with 16 points, while Tommy McMasters adds 10 points, seven rebounds four steals.

March 14, 1984 - UTC 74, Georgia 69 OT – NIT First Round
First ever NIT win … beat Dawgs in McKenzie in overtime (10, 132) after losing double overtime game in SoCon final to Marshall … Mocs are up 11 (45-34 at 13:38), then down four (57-53 at 5:42) … Gerald Wilkins ties the game at 61-61 in the last minute of regulation and then fouls out ... Dawgs have three shots to win it in regulation, but miss them all … UTC’s Stanford Strickland goes to the bench with five fouls early in overtime, but Maurice Head and Lamar Oden (7 pts in OT) come off the bench big to help secure the win … first SoCon team to win an NIT game since 1953 … Georgia’s Vern Fleming scores 20, but UTC shoots 55% from the field … Willie White ties the school record for 121 consecutive starts and sets the single season scoring record.

Mocs lose a heart breaker five nights later at UT as the Vols’ Willie Burton hits a jumper with :03 remaining for the win, 68-66.

March 20, 1985 – UTC 85, Lamar 84 OT – NIT 2nd Round
Rallying from down seven with :39 seconds remaining in regulation to win in OT on the road … long before there was Grant Hill-to-Christian Laetner (Duke-Kentucky in NCAAs) there was Eugene Deal-to-Gerald Wilkins inbounds pass to 25-jumper at buzzer to tie the game 77-77 and forced overtime … Deal had 10 pts./11 rebs. and Wilkins scores 27 … Mocs lose to Louisville in NIT quarterfinals.

Lamar is last game for coach Arnold on Mocs sideline as he moves to the NBA as an assistant with the Chicago Bulls for the 1985-86 season.

* Mack McCarthy (12 seasons, 1986- 1997)

Dec. 17, 1985 – UTC 48, Miss. State 47
In Starkville, UTC trails 23-4 early in first half, but only down 25-19 at half … trails 46-40 with 3:22 to go and tied the game at 46-46 before Darryl Ivery (16 pts., 9 rebs.) makes two free throws at the 1:15 mark to win it … Maurice Head has five steals for the Mocs.

Dec. 20, 1985 – UTC, 89, Ole Miss 78
“This was the opener of the UAB tournament and we beat two SEC schools back-to-back on the road which I doubt has ever been done before or since at UTC.

“We make 35 or 42 free throws, have six guys in double figures and led by as many as 21 at the 10 minute mark of the second half.”

Lance Fulse leads the Mocs with 23 points and nine rebounds.
Feb. 6, 1987 – UTC 82, Marshall 78 … 10,727 at McKenzie Arena … Marshall has longest in streak in the nation at 15 … Mocs has won seven straight … UTC trail by 13 in the second half and down nine with 4:30 to go, but good guys battle back and senior Maurice Head hits a 3 to go ahead, 76-73,with :54 ticks left … Marshall’s Skip Henderson is held to 14, while teammate Dwayne Lewis has 24 … both teams are 20-5 and 13-1 after the game … Head sets a single season assist with 139 … Mocs are 14-0 at home.

Jan. 21, 1991 – UTC 76, East Tenn. State 74
The Mocs (5-0) vs. ETSU (5-0) and Pirates have won 13 straight …. The Mocs beat Keith “Mister” Jennings and ETSU as the national polls came out that day and they are No.13 in the country … Playing before 10,125 fans in Johnson City, the Mocs are down by as many as 11, but battle back and Lavert Threats(8 pts., 4 rebs.), who had attended his 19-year-old sister’s funeral a week earlier, hits two free throws with four seconds left to win it …

Tyrone Gnoch sets a Mocs school record with 13 assists and Derrick Kirce had 32 points, 12 boards and three assists … UTC SID Scott Magnussen and his wife, who was great with child, went to hospital in the middle of the night after the game and she gave birth to their fourth child that afternoon.

Nov. 27, 1992 – UTC 110, Alaska Anchorage 56 in the 15th Annual Great Alaska Shootout … tournament host Alaska-Anchorage (D-II school) came to Chattanooga for the 2nd annual Dr. Pepper Classic the previous December … Mocs lost to New Mexico State in the Shootout on Nov. 26 and the Mocs handed UAA its worst loss in school history the following night … Gary Robb has 28 as five Mocs were in double figures.

Dec. 29, 1991 – UTC 87, Auburn 75 ... Mocs give Coach Mack a win against his old employer in Dr. Pepper Classic final … Tim Brooks was tourney MVP with 30 points … down 25-10 early, Auburn cuts it to one at 44-43 early in second half … game is tied at 72-72 but Mocs go on 15-3 run down the stretch.

Dec. 1, 1993 – UTC 67, Alabama 55
“This was probably the best road win we ever had in my tenure.” … Alabama had not lost to a Southern Conference team in 28 years and had won 32 straight home openers …. Chad Copeland scores 19 and Brandon Born adds 25 points and five boards.

Dec. 1, 1993 – UTC 67, Alabama 57
“This was probably the best road win we ever had in my tenure.” … Alabama had not lost to a Southern Conference team in 28 years and had won 32 straight home openers …. Chad Copeland scored 19 and Brandon Born added 25 points and five boards.

“To get a non-conference win of this magnitude will be worth something in March, “coach McCarthy told a Chattanooga Free Press sports writer after the game.

UTC did win the SoCon in March and then lose to Kansas in the NCAA tournament and Bama is 20-10 and 1-1 in the NCAAs ... UTC is only team to beat ‘Bama at home that season ... The Tide home wins include No. 24 Vandy and No.1 Arkansas …

Feb. 2, 1994 - UTC 86, ETSU 84 – 10, 205 came to McKenzie as Mocs erases a double digit deficit to win ... Gary Robb scored 21 points and Brandon Born adds 20

McCarthy’s Last Three Wins as a Moc

March 2, 1997 – UTC 71, Marshall 90 OT – SoCon Finals
Chris Mims was really one of the heroes of the Sweet 16 runs as his put back off a Johnny Taylor shot with :2.7 seconds in overtime gave the Mocs a 71-70 win against Marshall in SoCon title game and an NCAA berth … back-and-forth late as UTC’s Willie Young hit a trey for a 69-68 advantage … the Marshall’s Sidney Cole score to make it 70-69 before Mims’ heroics

Mims (16 pts., 10 rebs) also scores tying basket late in regulation to even it at 64-64 and force overtime … Five Mocs were in double figures including Willie Young (16) and Johnny Taylor (14) … Mocs went big – 6-9, 6-8, 5-8, 6-6, 6-2 - the final 18 minutes of regulation and OT and proved to be the correct decision. “We had to go big or play defense and we couldn’t do both,” said coach McCarthy.

Halftime: UTC trails 33-30 and are 0-8 in games where they trail at intermission, before beating Marshall.

March 14, 1997 – No. 14 UTC 73, No.3 Georgia 70 – NCAA Round of 64
Mocs lead by 20 (34-14) in first half … Georgia rallies to trail by one (70-69 at 8:56) on a Ray Harrison 3-pointer with 1:07 remaining …Marquis Collier’s free throw makes it 73-70 late and then blocks Georgia’s last shot … Willie Young scores 24 and Johnny Taylor adds 19

March 16, 1997 – UTC 75, No. 6 Illinois 63 – NCAA Round of 32
Illini lead 34-33 at half and then up seven, 52-45, at 13:14, but Mocs rally to lead by 11 at 71-60 with :27 seconds remaining …. Chris Mims has double-double (12 pts, 12 rebs), Johnny Taylor (12 pts, 7 rebs)

Chattanooga is Cinderella of the Big Dance with back-to-back wins … Magical run ends with Sweet 16 loss to Providence, 71-65 … Coach McCarthy becomes head coach at Va. Commonwealth the next season.

* Henry Dickerson (5 seasons, 1998-2002)

Nov. 15, 1997 – UTC 82, Wofford 65
Coach Dickerson’s first game as a head coach is a successful one as Mocs defeat the Tierrers in season and Southern Conference opener … Wes Moore makes a school record, nine 3-pointers and an Arena record for scoring (33 pts.) and also has seven boards, two steals and four assists in 33 minutes.

Jan. 11, 1999 - UTC 85, East Tenn. State 74 OT
Senior Isaac Conner takes advantage of a rare start and scores 16 points with four rebounds to help the Mocs defeat ETSU, 85-74, in OT … ETSU forces OT on a Greg Stephens 3-pointer late to tie it, 70-70 …Conner scores seven points in overtime.

Dec. 23, 1999 – UTC 68, St. Joe’s 65
Great Christmas present for the UTC players and coaches … Mocs are 1-7 entering the game and then win 6 of 8 starting with this victory, including 4-0 in the SoCon … Mocs trail 58-50 and go on an 18-7 run for the win … David Phillips (13 pts.) hit a pair of 3s to spark the late rally.

Jan. 31, 2000 – UTC 70, College of Charleston 68
COC comes in at 16-3 and 7-1 in SoCon and has not lost a SoCon road game in 18 months …. Mocs are 7-12 … UTC open with a 7-0 lead and never trail … Lead 63-51 at 7:17, but COC cuts lead to one, twice, but can never tie or take the lead … UTC’s “Mr. OO” Oliver Morton is an incredible 11 of 12 from the field for 22 points

Dec. 30, 2001 – UTC 71, Weber State 63 – Dr. Pepper Classic Title Game
Mocs lead by 22 at 47-25 with 17 minutes remaining in game, but then trail by four
UTC’s Nick Benson has 18 points 17 rebounds, while Clyde McCulley adds eight points, nine assists and Baylor School grad Tim Parker scores 14 to win the Dr. Pepper Classic.

Feb.23, 2002 - UTC 91, Western Carolina 71

Coach Dickerson's last win as the Mocs head coach ... wins his first (Nov. 15, 1998) and last games at home ... team rebounds from 24 and 16 points (at home) losses to rebound and win by 20 ... Clyde McCully's 3-pointer with 13+ to go gives Mocs a 63-45 lead and the Blue and Gold does not let up ... increases lead to 27 with 5+ to go ... Neil Ashby has 21 points and seven blocks, while Toot Young adds 24 ... Mocs are 12-25 from 3-point land with Young making 6 of 11 and Tim Parker 4 of 7.

* Jeff Lebo (2 seasons, 2003-04)

Nov. 22, 2002 –UTC 68, Samford 66
First win for Coach Lebo …In season opener, Mocs are down 18 in the first half on the road … Mocs trail 42-30 at intermission and open second half with 20-2 run … Ray Trowell 10 points, 5 assists) makes two FT’s with 4.6 seconds for the win … Ashley Champion playsd like one with 30 points (12-12 from the field) in his first game as a Moc after transferring from Jackson State C.C… Mocs open the season, 9-2 as best start since 11-2 to start the 1993-94 season.

Dec. 30, 2002 – UTC 75 Weber State 63 – Mocs win Dr. Pepper Classic
Jason Rogan scores 16 points in title game and is MVP … Ashley Champion adds 17 … Mocs improve to 9-2 … best start since 11-2 in 1993-94.

Feb. 22, 2003 – UTC 79, College of Charleston 78 OT …
First OT win in four years … Ray Trowell’s layup gives the Mocs the lead in the waning seconds of overtime, but he falls to the floor with a cramp in his leg and with the Mocs having only four defenders back on defense COC’s Stanley Jackson has an open look for a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win, but misses and UTC wins … Jason Rogan’s basket in regulation ties it at 71-71 to force the extra period … Trowell has 11 points and a dozen rebounds on the night ... Mocs claim first round bye in upcoming SoCon tourney.

Nov. 24, 2003 – UTC 81, Oral Roberts 79 …
Big road win after season opening loss at Kansas (90-76) three days earlier …Ray Trowell hits a pair of free throws to give Mocs 79-76 lead with 10 seconds to go and hold on to win on the road … ORU leads 43-34 at halftime, but UTC rallies in second half … Ashley Champion scores 21 points.

* John Shulman (9 seasons, 2005-2013)

Dec. 5, 2004 – UTC 69, Tennessee 68
“UTC hadn’t beat Tennessee in a LONG time (1925) … great win … my first D-I win in my first year as a head coach … special to beat Big Brother…”

Vols lead 68-66 with 1:39 remaining on a Chris Lofton 3 (his only points of the game)... UTC’s Chris Brown answers with his 3 at 1:10, UT fails to score on final two possessions and Mocs gain the huge win …

UTC’s Alphonso Pugh scores eight second half points and told a Chattanooga columnist, “I’ve been waiting for this for three years … I wanted to go to Tennessee, but they decided not to give me a scholarship … I took it upon myself to make sure they knew they’d made a mistake.”

Mindaugas Katelynas lead Blue and Gold with 17 points and nine boards … Mocs were 12-24 from 3-point range.

(other highlights are under Jim Reynolds’ games)

Mar. 5, 2005 – UTC 66, UNCG 62 – SoCon Title Game
“Win over UNC Greensboro (at home) in McKenzie Arena … Mindaugas Katelynas took over the tourney as we beat ETSU, App State and UNCG to win it … Casey Long steals pass as we are up three with five seconds remaining”

Dec. 6, 2005 – UTC 69, Creighton 64
“Beating Creighton at home in the back end of the Bracket Buster game was big.”

Mocs enter game 1-5 and had lost at Creighton 100-68 the previous January … the win starts a 7-of-8 win streak, including the San Juan and Dr. Pepper titles …Mocs trail by three late, but ties it 62-62 all at 1:39 … Alphonso Pugh leads with 16 points, eight boards and Kendrick Mays scores 13 …

More Than a Win … In dire need of finances, Bethel Bible Village in Hixson sponsors the game and Bethel kids hand out pledge cards for $1 a point to fans before the game …

Victory for UTC … No.2 … Victory for Bethel Bible Village … priceless

Dec. 16, 2006 – UTC 76, Oral Roberts 72
“Beating ORU at home was huge for us after they had won at then No.3 Kansas in November.”

Talented ORU team is led by Ken “just call me King” Tutt (36 pts.) and Caleb Green (16 pts., 16 rebs) … In a battle of wills, Mocs lead by 10 (54-44) at 12:53, then trail by four at 60-56 (6:35) … current Mocs assistant coach Casey Long scores six points in final 1:15 … first to tie it at 70 … and jumper gives the Mocs the lead at 72-70 … ORU ties it and Ricky Hood makes a pair of FTs at :04 for a 74-72 advantage …. followed by Long’s final FTs … _

March 9, 2009 – UTC 80, College of Charleston 69
“Win over COC in SoCon finals at home in McKenzie Arena … we outscore COC 20-0 in first 10 minutes of second half to advance to 10th NCAA tourney … beat coach Bobby Cremins … Mocs enter the SoCon tourney at 15-16 having lost the final three regular season games, get hot and win the tourney (at McKenzie Arena).”

Victory Meal … Coach Shulman passes on the champagne and celebrates the SoCon title with a Diet Coke, double cheeseburger platter and hash browns at a nearby Waffle House … “Scattered, smothered, covered and peppered … Is there any other way?” he told a local columnist.

Game is tied at half, but Mocs open final 20 minutes with 20-0 run … the Cougars pull within five (56-51) with 8:30 to play, but get no closer … UTC’s Stephen McDowell is tourney MVP ... Mocs go Dancin’ late into the Scenic City Night …

Jan. 17, 2013 – UTC 91, App. State 88 OT
“Down 19 to App. State with six minutes to play and Dontay Hampton scores at the buzzer to secure the comeback.”

App State lead by 19 (64-45) at 6:36, but Mocs battle back as Z Mason’s 3 and then a two pull the Mocs within two at 77-54 to set the table as Dontay Hampton (career-high 22 pts.) hits the game-tying 3 with 12 seconds to tie the game in regulation and force overtime … Hampton and Ronrico White bury 3s in OT … Z Mason lead Mocs with 23 points and 11 boards.

Note: Hampton raced the length of the floor and scored the winning bucket with 0.8 seconds remaining in a 65-63 win against this same App State team a year earlier- Jan. 7, 2012

* Will Wade (2 seasons, 2014-15)

Nov. 8, 2013 – UTC 119, Covenant 56 … … “Largest opening day crowd (4,637) since 6,000+ in Nov. 1995 … Great atmosphere and start” … Will Wade’s first game and win as UTC head coach … seven Mocs in double figures as Gee McGHee led the way with 20 … Lance Stokes had 13 points, five boards and five steals

Jan. 25, 2014 – UTC 77, UNCG 67 … “this win moves us to 8-0 in the conference on the season … 6,648 in attendance … Came back and won down the stretch – Crowd was really into the game” … UNCG led 53-50 with 8:58 to go, but Mocs took lead for good at 57-56 on a Casey Jones free throw (24 pts., 4 rebs., 5 steals) in middle of a 12-3 run … overall winning streak is now at 10

Dec. 22, 2014 - UTC 83, UAB 67 … “we played one of our best games all season … good to get a home win over a solid CUSA school” … Mocs Greg Pryor had 18 points and three assists … Justin Tuoyo has a double-double (11 pts., 12 rebs.) … Mocs led by 26 (54-28) in the second half before UAB cut it to nine at 65-56 at 6:31, but could get no closer.

Jan, 10, 2015 – UTC 74, East Tenn. State 71 OT … Casey Jones hits game winning 3-pointer (ala Jimmy Chitwood I) in closing seconds of overtime to edge in-state rival ETSU … game was tied at 63-63 at end of regulation … two lead changes in overtime and three tie scores before Jones’ winning shot … Mocs’ Eric Robertson leads all scorers with 20 points (six, 3 pointers)

Feb. 12 2015 - UTC 56, Wofford 46 … Mocs gain 700th D-I win on the road …stop Wofford’s 11-game home win streak … UTC’s Casey Jones leads all scorers with 23 points and adds eight boards … Duke Ethridge adds nine points and 12 rebounds.

Feb. 21, 2015 – UTC 67, East Tenn. State 59 … On Senior Nite, senior Ronrico White scores 20 … Mocs are now 20-9 … first UTC team to win 20 in the regular season since 1993-94 club (23-7) won the SoCon … Bucs lead 15-5 early and 30-22 at break before largest home crowd of season; 5,137 … Mocs outscore the visitors 45-29 in second half and shoot 52% from the field compared to 25.8% for the Bucs.

Feb. 28, 2015 - UTC 61, UNCG 58 ... Ronrico White hits game-winning 3 beyond the top of key (aka Jimmy Chitwood II) just before the horn to cap a second half rally and improve to 22-9 ... UNCG led by 12 (41-29) at 15:13 before Mocs go on 24-7 run and lead 53-48 at 6:19 … teams battle for the lead down the stretch until White’s heroics … he leads all scorers with 15, while Casey Jones has 12.      

 

 contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net

 

 

 

 

 

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