The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team used a strong second-half performance on both ends of the court to claim a 69-62 win over Tennessee Tech Tuesday night at McKenzie Arena.
The Mocs (3-0) picked up their 15th consecutive non-conference win, dating back to the 2019-20 season. They travel to Virginia Commonwealth University Saturday.
"In the second half, we started getting the ball inside, and we settled down defensively," UTC head coach Lamont Paris said. "I think we buttoned up a little bit and stayed in front and made better decisions and made them manufacture some points.
"We did that, sprinkled in enough stops, and we got the ball around the basket and got some things done."
Malachi Smith finished with a game-high 18 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists. KC Hankton followed with 13 points, while David Jean-Baptiste added 12 and Darius Banks 10 to go along with six assists. The Mocs also received a big contribution from 6-foot-10 senior center Avery Diggs, who chipped in six points and blocked a pair of shots in 10 minutes of action.
UTC struggled offensively in the first half, making only 4 of 14 shots from inside 3-point range, and trailed 32-31. The Mocs shot 50% from the field in the final 20 minutes, while holding Tech to just 38%. The visitors, who made 15 3s in their last contest against Oakwood, were just 6 of 18 from 3-point range against the Mocs. They were led by former McCallie standout Jr. Clay's 15 points and four assists.
"It's a good feeling knowing you beat a team and they threw their best punch," Smith said. "We love the expectations because at the end of the day, if you want to be great, that's what it's going to take. You have to be able to handle the expectations and the target on your back.
"The way last season ended, we felt like things were taken from us, so we don't feel like we have any right to feel like we're given anything or we're entitled to anything. We have to go out every day, and every game, playing to win."