STATS | NOTES | QUOTES | PHOTOS | ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
 
CHATTANOOGA---The Chattanooga Mocs rolled to a 94-46 win over Hiwassee in the home opener in McKenzie Arena. Makinde London led a trio of double-digit scorers with the first 20-point effort of his career.
 
London posted 20 points with six rebounds and two blocks. Rodney Chatman added 15 points and five boards, while Nat Dixon chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds. Hiwassee was led by Tevin Henry's eight.
 
The Tigers' 46 points are the fewest by an opponent since limiting Wofford to the same total in Spartanburg, S.C., on Feb. 12, 2015.
 
"I thought defensively, we were locked in and really committed for the majority of the game," Coach Lamont Paris shared. "We were committed to following our rules and our defensive scheme. I thought that was really good."
 
It was a slow start for the Mocs, trailing Hiwassee 14-9 at the under 12 media timeout. They came out of that break with a vengeance. London scored six straight points sparking a 16-2 run over the next four-plus minutes.
 
Dixon capped the run at 6:46 as his basket made it a 25-16 home advantage. That lead reached double digits on a Makale Foreman triple and jumped to 13, on Duane Moss' three a couple of possessions later. Another London basket sent the Mocs into intermission with a 19-point lead, 42-23.
 
The margin hit 20 on two Dixon free throws early in the second half. It swelled to 30 on Dixon's triple at 15:09, 54-24. The Mocs run to start the second frame was a gaudy 26-3 in nine-plus minutes of clock time as the advantage reached 68-26.
 
It rose to as many as 58 as the Mocs scored 52 second-half points. Moss, David Jean-Baptiste and Jonathan Bryant II all scored nine points off the bench. Jean-Baptiste also had six rebounds and six assists.
 
It all added up to the first win of Paris' head coaching career. He quickly deflected praise.
 
"It feels great just to win," he noted. "Really, to be honest, I haven't put much stock into it. I don't say that just to say it. I really mean it. I was excited for the guys. 
 
"I was excited that they were able to feel the feeling that they felt in the game. I was excited that guys that started the game were able to cheer for the other guys and know what that was like. I was excited to able to see guys do things that they haven't been doing. 
 
"I am worried more about that than winning one game for me."
 
3 NOTES TO KNOW
View complete notes package from tonight at the notes link above. Three to know…

• 19-2 advantage in points off turnovers despite just a +4 turnover margin with seven miscues compared to 11 for the Tigers.
• 41st home opener of the DI era…36-5 (.878) over that stretch…won last six with the last four coming against Hiwassee.
• 22nd win of 48 or more points in school history…largest margin of victory since last year's home opener against Hiwassee (102-54) also on Nov. 16.

 
QUOTABLE
Access thoughts on tonight's game at the quotes link above.
 
"We will evaluate this game for what it was and not for what the score was.  The same way if we lose the game, our whole evaluation process of this team and our growth has not as much to do with the overall result of the game, as far as how many points we scored, but more just about how we played.  Got better at things that we had been specifically working on.  I thought we did a good job with that." – Coach Lamont Paris.
 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Check out the full box score at the link above. Here are three notable numbers.

• UTC started out 1-7 from 3pt range before 13 of 20 (65.0%) the rest of the way.
• Mocs entered the game with a 0.7 assist-to-turnover ratio over the first two games. It was 3.1 tonight (22/7).
• Bench scored 33 points shooting 76.5 percent (13-17) from the floor, including 77.8 percent (7-9) from 3pt land.

 
COMING UP
Tonight was the first of four straight in the friendly confines of McKenzie Arena. Next up, Alabama State in the opening round of the Cayman Islands Classic Mainland Bracket on Monday at 7:30 p.m., after Jacksonville State and Savannah State square off at 5 p.m. The winners and losers match up on Tuesday at 5 and 7:30 p.m., with UTC taking the later time slot.
 
For the complete schedule, go here on GoMocs.com.
 
TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets are on sale – season, single-game and mini-plans – at all the usual places. To buy tickets, you can:
 

• Visit the Gate 1 Ticket Office at McKenzie Arena during business hours.
• Call the McKenzie Arena Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627) during business hours.
• Go online via GoMocs.com: Single-Game | Mini-Plan
• Group tickets are available by calling (423) 425-5470 or emailing Barry Kamen or Allison Callari.

 
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