The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team tipped off its Southern Conference schedule in dominating fashion Thursday night, routing rival East Tennessee State University 82-52 at McKenzie Arena.
The Mocs are 11-3 overall after the win, the most lopsided in the series since UTC defeated ETSU 93-59 on Jan. 22, 2005.
The hosts outperformed the Buccaneers (8-6, 0-1) in every fashion Thursday, compiling 38 points in the paint to ETSU's 12, 18 second-chance points to the Bucs' eight and 23 points from the bench to the visitors' six. The Mocs also outrebounded ETSU 47-26.
"Was it a statement game? I think it can be, just because no one knows really anything about anyone you watch," UTC coach Lamont Paris said.
"You see this team's got this record, this team's got that record, but the barometer is always going to be measured by what you do in conference, right? Everyone sees it - I've done it - and naturally says, 'Well, they're tending to this, so let's see what that really looks like in conference play.' So to that end, it does make a statement as to that's what this looks like in conference play, and so that was a good game for us.
"If we could bottle that recipe up and do it over and over again, we would, but I think it potentially does send a message as to what the next game is going to be like."
The Mocs were led by Malachi Smith's 17 points, and he also had four assists. Silvio De Sousa added 13 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, with 11 points and nine rebounds coming in the second half alone. A.J. Caldwell and David Jean-Baptiste scored 11 each, while Avery Diggs had eight and Darius Banks finished with seven plus eight rebounds and six assists.
UTC won't play again until Wednesday at Wofford. The Mocs' game at Mercer, scheduled for Saturday, was postponed due to COVID-19 issues for the Bears, according to a SoCon release Thursday.
Compiled by Gene Henley. Contact him at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.