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Staff Photo by Angela Lewis UTC's Jeff Smith heads toward the goal as Virginia Intermont's Wade Bryan guards in the game on Friday at McKenzie Arena. UTC won 107-62.
The home team eliminated the possibility of the improbable before the first timeout.
In its season opener Friday night in McKenzie Arena, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball drubbed Virginia Intermont 107-62.
The Mocs had six players score in double figures, led by Ricky Taylor's 17 points against the winless NAIA Division II team.
"We are 1-0," UTC coach John Shulman said. "We gain an awful lot. Would I rather open at home against Virginia Intermont or on the road at Tennessee? Hmm.
"Syracuse playing Robert Morris, what are they doing? They're doing the same thing we are. It's called the preseason."
UTC junior Jeremy Saffore shattered his previous career records in points and rebounds. He scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, which topped his career night of eight points and seven rebounds against Tennessee Temple last year.
"This is what I'm going to try to bring to the table every night," Saffore said. "I just looked for shots and crashed the boards and have to thank my point guard for getting me the ball."
Freshman guard Josh Odem impressed in his college debut with 16 points before a crowd of 3,065, which included more than 600 students. Junior Ridge McKeither scored 14 points, Keegan Bell had 12 and Jeff Smith scored 11 for the Mocs, who topped the 100-point barrier for the 34th time in school history. Benjamin Mulkey led the Cobras with 17 points.
"We had a good time out there," Odem said. "We played hard. We were unselfish, we got each other shots and we played defense."
UTC opened the game with a 13-0 run and led by 20 points less than five minutes after tipoff. Persistent defensive pressure forced the Cobras into six turnovers in their first 10 possessions.
Bell had four steals in the first three minutes, which turned out to be a preview of the rest of the evening.
The Cobras never were poised to strike.
"They weren't chopped liver," Bell said. "We had to play well to beat them. Tonight, stuff bounced our way more."
UTC led 62-30 at halftime, and that was the most points for the Mocs in a half since 72 against Covenant on Nov. 9, 2007.
The Mocs' lead reached 50 points with 14 minutes to go, and the largest lead was 56 with 10:24 to play in the game.
"We got some stops how we want to," Shulman said. "Then all of a sudden guys were looking at the scoreboard in the second half."
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
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