Chattanooga (6-5) at Middle Tennessee (5-5)
GAME NOTES: Looking to build on a three-game win streak, the Chattanooga Mocs will hit the road to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in a non- conference battle at the Murphy Center on Friday.
Chattanooga enters the fray with a 6-5 record on the season, but is riding high after wins in each of the team's last three games. The Mocs took down Northern Kentucky with ease on Tuesday, 93-81.
Middle Tennessee saw a two-game win streak come to an end on Tuesday with a 68-44 demolition at the hands of Oklahoma State. The Blue Raiders are 5-5 on the season, but get their next two games at home.
These two in-state rivals have met 56 times on the court before in their series history. Chattanooga leads with an all-time record of 30-26 against the Blue Raiders, but the most recent clash between the two programs came back in the 2005 campaign - an 81-71 Middle Tennessee victory.
It was a stellar offensive performance for the Mocs on Tuesday, as they rattled off 93 points on 62.8 percent shooting from the floor to earn their third consecutive win. They also hit on 13-of-26 from 3-point range, and made 26- of-37 from the free-throw line to pad the advantage. Greg Pryor netted 24 points to pace the Mocs in the win, though Pryor was followed closely by Ronrico White's 20 points and five assists. Casey Jones contributed 13 points and six rebounds in the victory.
Chattanooga has played exceptionally well on offense this season, netting 72.5 ppg on 45.1 percent shooting from the floor. Jones paces the team with 12.8 ppg, adding in a team-best 6.0 rpg mark to his resume. White and Pryor each chip in 10.5 ppg to round out the trio of double-digit scorers for the Mocs, who are allowing opponents to score 66.9 ppg against them. White has registered a team-high 32 assists on the season, while Justin Tuoyo's 35 blocked shots is by far the most on the squad.
Oklahoma State quickly proved that it was way too much for Middle Tennessee to handle on Tuesday. The Blue Raiders fell behind by 19 points at the end of the first half, and dropped an additional five points back in the second period. The team shot just 31.1 percent from the floor, and was led by Jaqawn Raymond's 11 points. Darnell Harris chipped in with eight points, and Joshua Phillips added a team-best six rebounds in the defeat.
Reggie Upshaw scored a single point against Oklahoma State earlier this week, which didn't do any wonders for his team high-tying 9.4 ppg average. His 6.5 rpg is the best on the squad through 10 games played, followed up by Jacquez Rozier's 5.9 rpg. Rozier is the other player on Middle Tennessee's roster to average 9.4 ppg for a team that has struggled mightily offensively this season, averaging just 58.8 ppg.
With such a low scoring output, it's a wonder Middle Tennessee has been able to stay afloat with a 5-5 record. Chattanooga will give Middle Tennessee's defense fits in this one.
Chattanooga 67, Middle Tennessee 62