Sam Alexis finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team had a fun Saturday afternoon at McKenzie Arena, destroying NCAA Division III program Covenant College 108-55 to improve to 2-2.
The Mocs will enter the season's third week still looking for their first victory over a D-I opponent, but they have two good chances with home games against Lipscomb (4 p.m. Wednesday) and Murray State (7 p.m. Saturday).
They shot 58% from the field against Covenant and hit 22 3-pointers, including 12 on their way to a 61-14 halftime lead.
"We came out and kind of went at them early," first-year Mocs coach Dan Earl said. "It never hurts to make shots early, and we certainly were knocking down 3s, but I thought for the most part we played the right way as well. We kind of took command of the game fairly early, and I thought we were pretty unselfish with moving the ball and getting guys open shots.
"I'd like to have a little bit better defense in the second half. They (Covenant) shot a high percentage, but they continued to play really hard."
The Scots (2-3), who made the short trip from Lookout Mountain, used 14 players in the game and had three reach eight points: Jonathan Gernatt, Charlie Hester and Eli Witt.
Four players scored in double figures for UTC, led by Alexis, a 6-foot-9, 190-pound freshman. Jake Stephens had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Chattanooga natives Randy Brady and Jamaal Walker had 11 points each. Brady added eight rebounds and four assists, while Demetrius Davis led the way in assists with five of the Mocs' 25. Brody Robinson had nine points and four assists, and Davis and Ashton Smith also scored nine.
"I just want to go in there and play my part," Alexis said. "Play the role that Coach wants me to do to get going there.
"I feel like, as a team, we're just getting started. We could play way better."
Compiled by Gene Henley. Contact him at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.