Champanooga! Inside the Numbers: Chattanooga at UNCG

 

Guard Trey Bonham (2) was one of three double-digit scorers in Chattanooga's Thursday win.  (Photo:  Chattanooga Athletics)

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Patience is a virtue.

Honor Huff made the well-chronicled move to transfer from VMI to Chattanooga when his then-coach Dan Earl – the only coach at the Division I level to offer the Brooklyn native guard a scholarship – left the Keydets to take over the Mocs. Earl replaced Lamont Paris, who left to go to South Carolina following Chattanooga’s most recent conference championship.

After Huff couldn’t play following the transfer because of the Southern Conference’s rules regarding in-league transfers. few could have anticipated the ending that unfolded Thursday night in Greensboro.

Earl now has a conference title in his third season in Chattanooga. Huff was one of three double-digit scorers in a 75-63 win over UNCG. The Mocs will take the top seed to the SoCon tournament in Asheville.

Now that you know what happened, let’s take a spin…Inside the Numbers!

• Chattanooga held just a three-point halftime lead after a continual tug-of-war during the period. Greensboro led by as many as six in the half, while Chattanooga led by no greater than a single point before Latif Diouf put home a layup with just over a minute to play that afforded the Mocs a three-point margin. There were two interesting underlying points about that first half that we should briefly explore.
• I don’t know that I’ve ever seen three fouls assessed on three-point attempts in a half before, but UNCG pulled the feat in the first period. Earl was far from pleased about the repeated whistles against his team in the first half, as one might imagine. The calls proved beneficial, as the three trips produced nearly a quarter of the Spartans’ first-half points. UNCG went 8-for-9 from the stripe on the three sequences.
• The last three seconds of the first half were also among the craziest I’ve ever seen. UNCG’s Ronald Polite knocked down two free throws, only for Greensboro’s Malik Henry to be whistled for a foul with two seconds to play. Polite was then called for a foul with just over a second to play, followed by another foul against Henry. The third foul was a shooting foul, sending Huff to the line to knock down a pair and send Chattanooga to the locker room ahead, 34-31.
• Only five Mocs attempted more than one shot in the second half. One of those players, guard Jack Kostel, arguably hit the two biggest shots of the night on the only two he attempted in the period. Following a possession in which Kostel assisted Collin Mulholland on a triple, the Mocs boarded a Spartan miss and took off down the floor. Mulholland missed a three, which Bash Wieland rebounded. Wieland kicked to Huff, who missed a three of his own. Noah Melson grabbed that miss and kicked to Kostel, who canned a triple to put Chattanooga ahead five. Greensboro would get within two after that shot, but would never again seize the lead.

SECOND (AND THIRD) CHANCE. JACK! 3⃣ pic.twitter.com/ilEydLEUwT

— Chattanooga Basketball (@GoMocsMBB) February 28, 2025

• Later in the half, Greensboro requested a stoppage while down, 67-56. Frank Champion had a layup spin off on the ensuing Chattanooga possession, but Wieland again snared the carom and assisted Kostel, who banged the three that likely served as the dagger. The shot put Chattanooga ahead, 70-56, with 5:25 remaining. Demetrius Davis answered with a corner three on the other end, but Greensboro would go on to miss its next six shots and could draw no closer than nine.
• Chattanooga managed just seven offensive boards on the night. Three of those boards came on the one possession that set up Kostel’s first second-half triple, with the fourth setting up the Kostel shot that likely decided the game. The Mocs logged 13 second-chance points to Greensboro’s five.
• Both teams had post players in foul trouble much of the night. Davis fouled out for UNCG, while Jalen Breath scored just four points while collecting four fouls. He did, however, haul in nine boards. Chattanooga, meanwhile, had to play long periods without Frank Champion and Garrison Keeslar, who both battled foul trouble. Keeslar attempted just one shot but grabbed three boards. Champion, for his part, scored seven points and boarded four misses. Mulholland and Diouf combined for 13 points and 11 boards in their reserve duty.

Polite reached the 1,000-point mark for his career on the night, then paced the Spartans in scoring. After having already been honored before the game for his career assists total, Polite canned 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from the stripe while grabbing four boards and dishing five dimes. Davis booked 14 for the Spartans, while guard Kenyon Giles added 10. UNCG shot 38.9 percent (21-for-54) from the deck on the night, weighed down by a 26.3 percent performance (5-for-19) from deep. The Spartans shot 66.7 percent (16-for-24) from the line.

Wieland guided Chattanooga with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting and 5-of-6 from the line. Wieland added three boards, with two of those being among the most key in the contest. Trey Bonham contributed 16 on 5-of-11 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the stripe, while Huff tallied 15 and hit a trio of threes. The Mocs scored a point and a quarter per possession and scored on 55 percent of their trips, shooting 48 percent (24-for-50) on the night. Chattanooga hit 8-of-22 (36.4 percent) from deep and 76 percent (19-of-25) from the line.

Quick tempo numbers:

Chattanooga:  1.25 PPP (60 trips), 55% scores, 13.3% turns, 48% shooting (24-50), 36.4% three-point shooting (8-22), 76% free throw shooting (19-25)

UNCG:  1.033 PPP (61 trips), 49.2% scores, 9.8% turns, 38.9% shooting (21-54), 26.3% three-point shooting (5-19), 66.7% free throw shooting (16-24)

Both teams resume play Saturday. Chattanooga travels on to Lexington, Va. to take on VMI. Game time inside Cameron Hall is set for 1:00 (Eastern), with streaming coverage planned for ESPN+. UNCG welcomes Samford to Fleming Gym on campus for a 4:00 tilt. That game is slated to air on ESPNEWS.

CHATTANOOGA 75, UNCG 63

CHATTANOOGA (22-8, 14-3 SOCON)

Champion 2-8 3-5 7, Keeslar 0-1 0-0 0, Bonham 5-11 5-5 16, Huff 4-10 4-6 15, Wieland 6-7 5-6 18, Richards 0-0 0-0 0, Kostel 2-3 0-0 6, Cusano 0-0 0-0 0, Mulholland 2-6 2-3 7, Melson 0-0 0-0 0, Diouf 3-4 0-0 6, Robison 0-0 0-0 0, Lopez 0-0 0-0 0, Holland 0-0 0-0 0, Vitters 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-50 19-25 75.

UNCG (19-11, 12-5)

Davis 5-9 3-3 14, Atwell 2-9 3-4 7, Breath 2-4 0-4 4, Giles 2-7 4-5 10, Polite 6-9 5-6 17, Jones 0-3 0-0 0, Saizonou 2-8 1-2 6, Henry 0-0 0-0 0, Ahemed 1-3 0-0 3, Kauzonas 1-2 0-0 2, Efinda 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-54 16-24 63.

Halftime:  Chattanooga 34-31. 3-Point goals:  Chattanooga 8-22 (Bonham 1-4, Huff 3-9, Wieland 1-1, Kostel 2-3, Mulholland 1-5), UNCG 5-19 (Davis 1-2, Atwell 0-6, Giles 2-6, Jones 0-2, Saizonou 1-2, Ahemed 1-1). Fouled out:  Davis (UNCG).  Rebounds:  Chattanooga 37 (Bonham 8), UNCG 28 (Breath 9). Total fouls:  UNCG 22, Chattanooga 19. Technicals:  NA.

Points off turnovers:  UNCG 12, Chattanooga 4.  Points in the paint:  UNCG 28, Chattanooga 26. Second-chance points:  Chattanooga 13, UNCG 5.  Fast-break points:  UNCG 7, Chattanooga 3.  Bench points:  Chattanooga 19, UNCG 11.

 

Chattanooga works its way back from 16 down in win at Furman

Chattanooga guard Honor Huff was one of three Mocs to score 16 points as the Mocs bounced back from down 16 to win at Furman Saturday.  (Photo:  Chattanooga Athletics)

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GREENVILLE, S.C. – For about 11 minutes of Saturday’s game, Furman seemed to have everything at its command. The Paladins led, 22-6, over Chattanooga, holding the Mocs to a 2-for-17 start from the floor. The game would not, however, be the landslide for which Furman hoped or its fans expected.

Instead, pebble by pebble, the wall crumbled.

The visiting Mocs overcame that early 16-point hole, a seven-point halftime deficit, and nearly everything else thrown at them. Chattanooga got 48 points from its top three scorers – exactly 16 apiece – and scored 48 points in the second half to defeat Furman, 75-71, before an announced crowd of 4,327 at Greenville’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

The decision left normally stoic Bob Richey “furious” – his word – though his face revealed little of that emotion.

“This game tonight could have gone either way,” Richey said after the game. “This was a 50-50 game with two great teams battling it out. We led for 35 minutes of the game. They led for 4:20. Those are the ones that kill you. Those are the ones that hurt you. For 35 minutes, we did a lot of good stuff. For four minutes and 20 seconds, we gave them the lead and let them come on our home floor and beat us. We didn’t finish the game well.”

Furman (15-4, 3-3 SoCon) could hardly have started the game better. The Paladins raced out to an 11-0 lead, turning away the first seven Chattanooga field goal attempts. Honor Huff connected on a jumper after over five minutes had elapsed to finally put the Mocs on the board. Once the Paladin lead stretched to the aforementioned 16, Chattanooga finally found a bit of an answer.

Bash Wieland knocked out the first layer of stone with four quick points. A mixture of dunks, free throws, layups, and five quick points from Frank Champion loosened a bit more of the deficit, quickly slicing the lead to five and knocking the home side onto its heels a bit. Furman responded, scoring eight of the final 14 points of the period, using a PJay Smith triple to create some much-needed separation before the Mocs finally cut it to seven at the break.

"They are always hard-fought in Southern Conference games and unfortunately for us, we came out of the gate poorly and like we were walking in mud again,” Chattanooga coach Dan Earl said in comments made available by the university. “I don't know why that is, because previously we came out unbelievably well, so we have to find that consistency.”

Chattanooga (12-7, 4-2) wielded its chisel in the second half, chipping away – if slowly – at the deficit. Before it could, though, it had to emerge from under another pile of rocks.

After a Trey Bonham free throw reduced the Furman lead to six, Furman tore off another 7-0 burst that pushed the home side’s lead back to 13. Chattanooga then found success where it had been elusive in the first half – in the paint.

Champion converted a layup. Bonham then converted one. Garrison Keeslar booked another. Bonham put home two more. Wieland made one. In three-and-a-half minutes, the lead that had ballooned back to a baker’s dozen was suddenly a precarious two points. The purple-clad partisans seemed stunned.

Furman then worked the lead back to eight, padding the advantage on four straight free throws. Finally, after all the chipping away and all the layers between the two teams being rebuilt in frustrating bursts, the visitors broke through. Again, the Mocs mostly got the job done in the paint.

Champion notched two more layups and Huff hit a three, but a redshirt freshman would deal the final blow.

Collin Mulholland, who came into the game to spell Latif Diouf after Diouf fouled out, grabbed a dish from Huff and went up strong to the basket. The 6-foot-10 forward finished through contact and earned a free throw, which he made to put Chattanooga ahead, 60-58, with 4:35 remaining. Furman’s Eddrin Bronson leveled the contest with a bucket, but Furman would never again lead.

The Paladins thought – for a moment, anyway – that they would have a chance to even the game with four seconds remaining, as Smith drew a foul beyond the three-point arc. Furman protested that Smith was fouled in the act of shooting; however, after a somewhat prolonged conversation, the officials ruled that Smith was fouled on the floor. Smith hit the first of two free throws and tried to intentionally miss the second, but the try was ruled not to have hit the rim. The Mocs then put away the game at the line.

“I can’t wait to see the clip of PJay,” Richey said. “He was in the act of shooting when the whistle went off. I don’t understand how that – I don’t get that. It’s just one of those situations where – that stuff’s out of my control. (The officials) didn’t miss 11 free throws for us. They didn’t give them 12 offensive rebounds that turned into 17 points. I don’t want to be the one sitting up here faulting them for it. I am curious to see that call, because obviously the game was on the line when that shot goes up and he’s clearly shooting when the whistle goes. I think that’s an unfortunate situation right there.”

To Richey’s point, Chattanooga completely flipped the script in the paint in the second half. The Mocs outscored the Paladins, 26-14 below the stripe in the second half, but two other numbers troubled the Paladins’ coach. Chattanooga held a 17-3 advantage on second chance points and a 15-4 advantage on the break, which loomed large in such a tightly contested game. Additionally, both sides tried 28 free throws. Chattanooga missed just three, while Furman missed 11.

Champion, Huff, and Bowman all notched 16 for the Mocs. The trio sank 15-of-32 tries from the deck and added a 15-of-17 performance from the line that helped seal the final margin. Chattanooga finished the game shooting 44.2 percent (23-of-52) for the contest, lifted by 51.7 percent (15-of-29) shooting in the second stanza. The Mocs outrebounded the Paladins by 11 and conquered most of the statistical categories. Champion finished one board away from a double-double.

Smith led Furman and all scorers, booking 18 on 4-of-15 shooting. Nick Anderson added 15, hitting 5-of-7 from the field. Furman shot 43.1 percent (22-for-51) overall but slightly bettered that percentage by hitting 10 threes on 23 tries (43.5 percent). The Paladins converted 14 Chattanooga turnovers into 20 points.

Richey addressed after the game the search for answers he and his team now face.

“There are going to be ebbs and flows to seasons,” Richey said. “We’re not going to lose our minds. We’re 15-4. We’re not where we want to be in league play. We’ve got to go do the things we were doing successfully when we were winning at the level we were winning at. We’ve got to fight our way out of this. You find out a lot about yourself when you lose a game. We’re going to find out a lot about ourselves.

“I’m disappointed. I’m mad. I’m furious, actually. That doesn’t mean I’m discouraged and that this team can’t respond. I know we’re better than this. If you don’t like who you are, change what you do. That’s just how life works. Don’t change what you say or who you blame, just change what you do. We’ve got to be better, and I trust that we will be.”

The sides return to SoCon play later this week. Furman travels to Lexington, Va., to take on VMI Wednesday evening. Tip time from Cameron Hall is set for 6:00 (Eastern), with ESPN+ offering streaming coverage. Chattanooga welcomes SoCon co-leader Samford to McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga for a 7:00 jump Thursday evening. The game will be televised on ESPN2 or ESPNU.

CHATTANOOGA 75, FURMAN 71

CHATTANOOGA (12-7, 4-2 SOCON)

Champion 6-9 3-3 16, Keeslar 1-5 0-0 2, Bonham 5-15 5-6 16, Huff 4-8 7-8 16, Wieland 2-7 3-4 7, Cusano 0-1 0-0 0, Kostel 0-0 4-4 4, Muholland 3-3 1-1 8, Melson 0-0 0-0 0, Richards 1-2 0-0 2, Robison 1-1 0-0 2, Diouf 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 23-52 25-28 75.

FURMAN (15-4, 3-3)

Hien 3-5 1-3 8, Bowser 3-8 3-5 9, Smith 4-15 6-7 18, Bronson 3-7 2-2 9, Anderson 5-7 2-5 15, Johnston 0-1 0-0 0, VanderWal 1-1 1-2 3, Molnar 2-5 2-3 7, House 1-2 0-1 2. Totals 22-51 17-28 71.

Halftime:  Furman 34-27. 3-Point goals:  Furman 10-23 (Hien 1-2, Smith 4-11, Bronson 1-3, Anderson 3-3, Johnston 0-1, Molnar 1-2, House 0-1), Chattanooga 4-13 (Champion 1-1, Keeslar 0-2, Bonham 1-3, Huff 1-3, Wieland 0-3, Mulholland 1-1). Fouled out:  Diouf (UTC).  Rebounds:  Chattanooga 38 (Champion 9), Furman 27 (Bowser 7). Total fouls:  Chattanooga 20, Furman 20. Technicals:  NA

Points off turnovers:  Furman 20, Chattanooga 14.  Points in the paint:  Chattanooga 34, Furman 22. Second-chance points:  Chattanooga 17, Furman 3.  Fast-break points:  Chattanooga 15, Furman 4.  Bench points:  Chattanooga 18, Furman 12.