Chattanooga 108, Reinhardt 78
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Martynas Bareika and Drazen Zlovaric each scored 20 points as the Chattanooga Mocs (3-7) ran past Reinhardt (5-6) 108-78 Friday afternoon in McKenzie Arena. The 108 points are the most for Chattanooga since posting 111 against UNCG in double overtime on January 27, 2011.
Bareika had a career day with new highs of 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 21 minutes off the bench. His effort paced four double-digit scorers including two other reserves as the Mocs tallied 61 points from its bench.
Zlovaric had his second career 20-point effort. Farad Cobb had 14, while Alex Bran added 12 as the two shared the point guard spot for 34 of the game's 40 minutes combining for 26 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Reinhardt led 10-8 when Chattanooga took control of the game. In the final 14 minutes of the first half, the Mocs went on a 52-23 run to take a 60-33 lead into intermission. From there the team cruised to the 30-point win. The largest lead of 32, 76-44, came on a Ronrico White tip-in with 13:54 to play.
Xavier Mayfield and Larricus Thomas each had 13 points to lead the Eagles. Gabe Mathis chipped in 11 points. Leading scorer Quinton Wood was held to 10 point less than his average with eight tonight while grabbing a team-high five rebounds.
UTC dominated the glass with a 30-rebound advantage, 56-26. That was more pronounced in the second half as the Mocs limited Reinhardt to just 10 boards while grabbing 30 of their own. Sam Watson had a game-high eight rebounds with Z. Mason, Gee McGhee and Bareika each claiming seven.
The Mocs had a season-high 22 assists with White leading with four and Casey Jones, Bran and Cobb each adding three apiece.
Tennessee 66, Western Carolina 52
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Trey Sumler scored a game-high 23 points to lead a pair of Catamounts in double figures on Friday night, but a second half run by Tennessee allowed the Volunteers to outlast Western Carolina, 66-52, in front of 15,109 fans in nonconference action at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee (7-3) took advantage of a commanding 30-to-8 advantage on points scored from the free throw line, recording nearly half of its points on the night from the charity stripe. The Catamounts held the Vols to just three first half field goals as Tennessee scored 16 of its first 22 points in the opening 20 minutes from the free throw line, finishing 30-of-42 from the stripe.
"Our guys didn't quit, that's the trademark of this team, they just kept hanging in there," said WCU head coach Larry Hunter during post-game comments on the Catamount Sports Network. "I thought Trey Sumler was terrific. When we needed a basket, he was involved in the play - whether it was scoring himself or giving it to somebody. Our guys battled."
He added, "I thought the whole ballgame we competed really well and we had a good run there offensively (in the first half), but the last 10 minutes they were scoring at the foul line and that was a big difference in the game on the stat sheet."
Sumler shot 8-of-17 from the floor and added seven made free throws to eclipse the 20-point plateau to pace WCU. Brandon Boggs came off the bench for 15 points as the only other Catamount player in double digits. Seven other Catamounts recorded points on the night, but none tallying more than three.
Tom Tankelewicz and Kenneth Hall off the bench led WCU in rebounds with five apiece.
Led by 14 points from Jordan McRae, Tennessee put four players in double figures with a fifth just missing a double-double. Jarnell Stokes and Josh Richardson both recorded a dozen points apiece while Trae Golden rounded out the four Vols in double figures with 10 - eight of which coming from the free throw line. Kenny Hall just missed the double dip with nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Playing its 10th game away from home on the season, Western Carolina (4-8) took advantage of Tennessee's shooting woes early in building a 10-point edge midway through the first half. The Catamounts used a 10-0 spurt, holding the Vols scoreless over a five-minute stretch to lead 14-4 at the 9:38 mark.
All told, Tennessee went 10 and a half minutes between field goals in the opening stanza, missing 14 of their first 15 shots. Yet the Vols managed a four-point, 22-14, edge at intermission.
Out of the halftime locker room, Tennessee was able to pull away by as many as five points on two occasions, but could not put the Catamounts away. Preston Ross buried a 3-pointer from the right wing at the 13:10 mark to knot the game for the fourth time and James Sinclair gave WCU a one-point lead with 11:57 remaining in the game.
However, Richardson put the Volunteers ahead for what proved to be for good on a lay-up at the 11:38 mark, sparking a 21-to-4 run to pull away. Tennessee stretched its advantage to as many as 18, 60-42, before the final tally of 14, 66-52.
Tennessee won the battle on the boards, out rebounding WCU 45-to-30, turning 15 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points. The Vols also converted 12 Catamount turnovers into 16 points.