There won’t be a revenge factor involved, but the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball team definitely will take an added focus into tonight’s game at Virginia Military Institute.
The Mocs saw what happened when they weren’t focused the last time.
UTC (18-7 overall) will face the Keydets (6-18) at 7 p.m. in Lexington, Va., in a key Southern Conference battle. The Mocs are 9-4 in league games and sitting in the third slot, while VMI is 3-10 but coming off a win over The Citadel.
“You can’t look at VMI’s record anymore, especially after what transpired here,” UTC coach Matt McCall said Monday before the Mocs left Chattanooga. “Our guys have a tremendous amount of respect for their program and their team.
“They handed it to us the first time; they wanted the game more, they played hard, more inspired, more connected. Everything they did, we didn’t do, and our guys understand that. It’s not about revenge; it’s about going up there and doing our job.”
In the teams’ meeting in Chattanooga on Jan. 25, QJ Peterson scored 40 points in an 80-64 win for VMI. That is the Mocs’ only loss at McKenzie Arena this season, and the Keydets’ only win away from Cameron Hall.
It started a mini-slide for the Mocs, who fell 76-71 at East Tennessee State three days later, but they’ve since won three out of four, including a big road victory at Wofford on Saturday. During the recent stretch, no opponent has scored over 70 points after the Mocs allowed at least that many in three straight games.
Limiting Peterson will be key in tonight’s result. He score 28 of his points in the second half of the first meeting, making his final 10 shots and his final six 3-pointers. The 6-foot guard leads the SoCon at 20.3 points per game, while also ranking in the top 10 at 6.5 rebounds per outing.
“It’s hard to simulate him, what he’s able to do out there,” McCall said, “but we’ve got to make sure we do a great job on him. He can win a game (by himself).
“We have to be solid and disciplined.”
1977 celebration
UTC will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1976-77 team that went 27-5 and won the NCAA Division II national championship during halftime of Saturday’s game against ETSU.
Several members of the team, support staff and administration will be in town for the weekend and will be remembered.
A commemorative T-shirt mirroring the look of that team’s national champs jersey will be distributed, and the school is planning a “White Out” promotion for the game.
Apart from the school’s plans, the champs will be the featured guests at a Friday luncheon benefiting the local Independent Youth Services Foundation headed by Herbert “Book” McCray, one of the standouts of the 1976-77 team. The luncheon is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Second Missionary Baptist Church on East Third Street, and tickets cost $75. Some will be available at the door.
For more information call McCray at 227-7206. He said Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame members Wayne Golden and Gary Stich from that team have committed to attend.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.