2012-13 CHATTANOOGA MOCS BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Mercer (5-5) at Chattanooga (2-7)
Game 10 | Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012 | 3 p.m. | McKenzie Arena | Chattanooga, Tenn.

LINKS
Media Guide | Schedule | Roster | Tickets (Home) | Mercer

MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TV: N/A

RADIO: The Mocs Sports Network flagship station is ESPN 105.1 FM the Zone in Chattanooga. Jim Reynolds is in his 33rd year as the play-by-play "Voice of the Mocs".

MOCSVISION: Video (PPV) and audio (free) are available online at GoMocs.com via MocsVision. Links for video, audio and live stats are available on the men's basketball schedule page.

PROMOTIONS: N/A.

NEXT UP
Chattanooga closes the pre-holiday schedule at home against Reinhardt at Noon on Friday, December 21.

UTC MOCS CLUB/ALUMNI EVENT IN ATLANTA JANUARY 2nd
The UTC Mocs Club and the UTC Alumni Association are hosting a pregame reception for all fans at STATS restaurant in Atlanta prior to the UTC-Georgia Tech men's basketball game. The event begins at 5 p.m. and concludes at 6:30. The cost to attend the reception is $25 and includes an appetizer buffet of cheeseburger sliders, spinach and artichoke dip, roasted vegetables and spicy buffalo wings, as well as one drink ticket. There is a cash bar during the event. We are also offering a package where you can attend the reception and get a game ticket for $35. To RSVP, contact the UTC Mocs Club office at 423-425-4233, or click here to sign up online. The last day to RSVP is December 28th.

OPENING TIPS
- This is the 61st meeting with Mercer in the series which dates back to the 1920-21 season. It is just the sixth matchup of the DI era (1977-78) for the Mocs. Series note on page 3.

- First visit from Mercer since Dec. 17, 1990, an 88-69 Chattanooga win.

- Should be a defensive-contest with UTC averaging 63.4 points per game and Mercer 58.8.

- Chattanooga owns a SoCon-best rebounding margin of 7.1 per game.

- The Mocs are tough on the glass at both ends of the floor. The team paces the SoCon in offensive rebound percentage (.414) and is third behind UNCG and Wofford in defensive rebound percentage (.723).

- Chattanooga is tied for 17th in the country in offensive boards per game (15.4) through games of Thursday, December 13.

- The Mocs have grabbed 12 or more offensive rebounds in nine straight contests to open the season, 10 straight dating back to last season. The last time they recorded 10 in a row was a stretch of 13 straight from Dec. 22, 1997 through February 4, 1998.

- UTC has out-boarded opponents by 10 or more four times thus far.

- Chattanooga attempted 24 three-pointers in the loss at LSU making nine (37.5%). In its previous three games, it attempted just 29, making seven (24.1%).

- Three Mocs hit three treys in Baton Rouge - Z. Mason (3-6), Ronrico White (3-5) and Gee McGhee (3-5). It's the first time since January 14, 2012 at Samford that the team had three or more student-athletes nail three or more in a game (Omar Wattad 4-13, Keegan Bell 3-13 & Dontay Hampton 3-4).

- Mason and White are coming off career-best performances scoring the basketball. Mason posted his first 20-point night with 22 at LSU, while White scored his personal best of 17.

- Mason also tallied new career marks in FG made (8) and 3pt FG made (3) while tying highs in FG attempts (14) and 3pt attempts (6).

- Mason is averaging 14.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game over the last four. He is shooting 55.0 percent (22-40) from the field over that stretch.

- White's career game at LSU not only included a new high point total of 17, but also highs in FG made (6), 3pt made (3), FG attempted (12) and 3pt attempts (5).

- White is fifth in the SoCon in free throw attempts (46) leading all guards. McGhee is tied for eighth with 41.

- McGhee opened the season shooting 24.2% (8-33) from the field, 15.4 percent (4-26) from 3pt range and 30.8% (4-13) on free throws in his first four games. In the last fiver, he's made 39.6% (19-48) including 42.9% (9-21) from beyond the arc and 64.3% (18-28) from the charity stripe. He is averaging 13.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest over that stretch.

- McGhee has played 24 or more minutes in every game with a high of 31 (Troy/EKU). He is the only student-athlete on the squad to do so.

A-SUN HISTORY
This is the second of two meetings with Atlantic Sun opposition this season. UTC topped Kennesaw State 65-51 on the road last month.

The Mocs have a long history with the Atlantic Sun or at least the conference as it is aligned at this time.
- UTC is 92-93 vs. current A-Sun membership: ETSU 42-32, Jacksonville 2-8, KSU 4-1, Lipscomb 9-17, Mercer 28-32 & Northern Kentucky 7-3.
- Shulman is 8-5 against A-Sun opponents (ETSU 5-2, KSU 3-1, Mercer 0-1).

SCOUTING THE BEARS
- Mercer is 5-5 on the season. It is 4-0 at home, 1-2 on the road and 0-3 at neutral sites.

- Bob Hoffman is 80-66 in his fifth season in Macon. He has a ledger of 392-220 in 19 years as a collegiate head coach.

- The Bears won at Florida State (61-56) and topped SoCon member Furman (73-46). They were nearly 2-0 in the ACC losing a narrow 74-71 verdict vs. Wake Forest.

- Travis Smith leads Mercer averaging 10.5 points per game.

- Although the Bears have out-rebounded their opponents by one board this season, they do it without a dominant presence on the glass. The top five rebounders average between 3.1 and 3.8 rebounds per contest.

- It's a defensive-minded bunch allowing a mere 54.2 points per game. Opponents are shooting 39.6 percent from the field including 28.1 percent from three-point range. Mercer has held four teams under 50 points and two more under 60 so far in 10 games.

MURRAY ARNOLD
The Chattanooga Mocs lost a legend on Nov. 14, 2012 as former Head Coach Murray Arnold passed away in Florida. He laid the DI championship foundation coaching for six years, 1980-85, with a 135-46 record. He coached collegiately at four institutions (Birmingham Southern, Western Kentucky and Stetson) amassing a 420-229 mark in 22 seasons. The Mocs captured four SoCon Championships in six UTC campaigns advancing to three NCAA Tournaments and two NITs reaching the Elite 8 (NIT) in 1985 and narrowly missing the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1982.

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