The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball team began a two-game swing out West with a loss Friday night, with Saint Mary’s defeating the Mocs 87-66 in Moraga, California.
The Gaels (2-0), who are the reigning West Coast Conference regular-season champions and have made the past four editions of the NCAA Division I tournament, ended what was the longest active winning streak in D-I. The Mocs had won six games in a row dating to last season, with their five-game run to the National Invitation Tournament title followed by Monday night’s 92-39 home victory against NAIA member Union Commonwealth to tip off UTC’s 2025-26 schedule.
The loss was UTC’s first since the reigning Southern Conference regular-season champions were upset in the league tournament semifinals, 80-77 in overtime on March 9 in Asheville, North Carolina.
At Saint Mary’s, the lone lead for the Mocs came early at 6-4 on a layup by Teddy Washington Jr., who finished with a team-high 13 points while shooting 6-for-15 from the field and 0-for-5 on 3-point attempts. The Gaels settled in quickly, regaining the lead on the next possession as Mikey Lewis, who finished with a game-high 28 points, made a layup, got fouled and hit the free throw.
UTC stayed in range enough to get within eight points with 6:16 left in the first half, but Saint Mary’s stretched its legs from there, leading by 18 twice before settling for a 15-point halftime advantage at 48-33. The lead was never less than 12 in the second half, and the Gaels got it above 20 with less than five minutes to play.