In this file photo from Nov 4, 2010, UTC’s Omar Wattad watches the ball while guarding a Tennessee Wesleyan player at McKenzie Arena.CHARLESTON, S.C. – Omar Wattad faced the possibility of playing point guard for the first time because University of Tennessee at Chattanooga starter Keegan Bell suffered from flulike symptoms Wednesday.
But Bell recovered and started, and Wattad set a career scoring high in the Mocs’ 69-68 win at The Citadel on Thursday.
Wattad scored 30 points, including 20 in the first half, for UTC, which now is 5-0 in Southern Conference competition. Ricky Taylor added 10 points for UTC (9-8 overall).
“Once Omar gets it going, he can really shoot,” senior center DeAntre Jefferson said on the Mocs’ postgame radio show. “Once he gets it going, you have to ride his coat tails.”
Bulldogs guard Zach Urbanus missed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have given The Citadel its second SoCon win of the season.
The Bulldogs (5-12, 1-4) were led by 17 points from Cameron Wells and 15 points apiece from Urbanus and Austin Dahn.
UTC trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but Wattad scored 11 in five possessions to pull the Mocs within two and help them finish the half on a 14-6 run.
The host Bulldogs took a 47-40 lead less than five minutes into the second half, yet UTC responded with 10 consecutive points. But neither team took a commanding lead the rest of the way, and the score was tied at 62 with 3:55 to play.
After that, UTC’s scoring came from Taylor hitting a 3-point basket, Jefferson sinking two free throws and Wattad scoring his final two points.
“I got it going in the first half. Tthe team fed me the ball,” Wattad said on the radio. “When I get hot, I feel that I can’t miss and I let it fly.
“We’re 5-0, and now let’s go get Samford.”
The Mocs host the SoCon’s other set of Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Saturday.