The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team has yet to face Southern Conference opponent Virginia Military Institute even though the regular season is nearly over, but the Mocs will get their share of time with the Keydets over the next two weeks.
UTC (23-4, 12-2) can clinch a share of the SoCon regular-season title with two wins this week. There's a scenario in which the Mocs can claim the title outright this weekend, but their primary focus is taking care of business against the Keydets (7-17, 2-11) at 7:30 tonight at McKenzie Arena.
Their first scheduled meeting of the season, on Jan. 23 in Lexington, Va., was called off due to a snowstorm on the East Coast. That game will be made up Feb. 29, with the Monday night matchup closing out the regular season for both teams.
"We just have to take it one game at a time," UTC point guard Greg Pryor said. " We'll be familiar with them the second time. We just worry about one game at a time because we know it's a one-game series right now."
UTC coach Matt McCall hadn't done his homework on the Keydets as of Monday afternoon, but by Wednesday he realized that guards Julian Eleby and Q.J. Peterson lead the way, averaging a combined 31.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and five assists per game. Peterson is second in the league in scoring average at 17.4 points per game.
Playing a guard-heavy lineup is nothing new to the Mocs. They faced a similar situation in Saturday's win at East Tennessee State University, and while the Mocs allowed a combined 30 points to ETSU's Ge'Lawn Guyn and T.J. Cromer, Guyn was 0-for-5 from 3-point range and Cromer didn't score in the second half.
"We just have to take it like any other game," Pryor said. "We have to focus on making defensive stops. That's not just about the player in front of you, because it's a team game at the end of the day. I'm focused on my man, but my team has my back."
The Keydets have struggled to switch from former coach Duggar Baucom's fast-paced style to a more deliberate approach employed by new coach Dan Earl. But McCall said VMI shouldn't be overlooked despite a losing record.
"We have to do a good job prep-wise," McCall said. "We have to focus on what we have to do to have success in this game. Anytime you're thinking you're OK is when you can get tripped up, so we're not consumed with that. We're concerned with what we have to do to beat VMI."
With the Mocs trying to close out a regular-season championship - and up two games in the SoCon standings heading into tonight - and the UTC women seeking to take over first place in the SoCon, the athletic department has announced some special promotions for this week's home games.
UTC faculty and staff members can get up to eight free general-admission tickets for their families tonight, and students attending can enter to win a Yeti cooler, compliments of the school's student government association.
Saturday's doubleheader, with the women facing Mercer at 2 p.m. and the men taking on UNC Greensboro at 5, will be fan appreciation day. Admission is free for kids, and free hot dogs will be served to the first 500 fans through the gate before each game.
A 40-inch TV will given away at the women's game, and there will be a Power C mosaic of fan photos placed at center court. Fans can come down after the men's game and find their photos in the mosaic. There will also be giveaways (hats, coffee mugs, T-shirts, etc.) during each timeout.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.