McCall’s Mocs win 81-77 over Illinois

Chattanooga guard Johnathan Burroughs-Cook, left, tries to steal the ball away from Illinois guard Khalid Lewis, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Prairie Capital Convention Center Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman) Chattanooga guard Johnathan Burroughs-Cook, left, tries to steal the ball away from Illinois guard Khalid Lewis, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Prairie Capital Convention Center Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

By Gene Henley November 22, 2015 3 min read

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball team outscored Illinois 21-8 over the final 6:26 to claim an 81-77 win Saturday in Springfield, Ill., in the first game of the Emerald Coast Classic.

The Mocs (3-0) will play their second game of the classic Monday, traveling to seventh-ranked Iowa State.

Six UTC players scored in double figures, led by Eric Robertson’s 15 points on 5-for-10 3-point shooting. His last one, with 1:58 to play, gave the Mocs a 77-74 lead. Greg Pryor, who had 10 points, followed that up with a layup that capped off an 11-2 run after Illinois (1-3) had taken a 72-68 lead.

The Illini’s Michael Finke hit a 3-pointer to cut the UTC lead to two. Casey Jones had a turnover on the Mocs’ next possession, but Finke missed a 3-pointer and Tre’ McLean was fouled with 11 seconds to play.

He hit both free throws for the final margin.