Wofford hosts UTC in key SoCon matchup

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It's the big game before the big game.



Before the national championship football contest Monday between Clemson and Alabama (8:30 p.m. on ESPN), there is a Southern Conference basketball showdown between two-time defending champion Wofford and preseason favorite Chattanooga at 6 p.m. in the Benjamin Johnson Arena.



The tip time was moved up an hour to make sure Spartanburg-area folks can watch both. That undercard, the warm-up act, might be quite a show as well.

?I think it will be great,? said Wofford senior guard Spencer Collins, who led Wofford to a remarkable comeback Saturday by scoring 12 straight points as the Terriers scored the last 14 in a 69-65 victory at home against Samford to go 3-0 in league play. ?We play a really great Chattanooga team. They've been one of the top competitors in our conference for the past few years.?

Chattanooga served notice early by beating Georgia in the opening game of the season and then Illinois in the third game. UTC also beat Dayton and did it without Casey Jones, the preseason player of the year.

The Mocs (13-3) did suffer their first league defeat Saturday afternoon in the upstate, breaking an eight-game overall winning streak with a 70-55 loss at Furman.

?They went over there and got hit between the eyes,? Wofford head coach Mike Young said. ?They had a little eye-opener. They'll come in here with their teeth set. So will we.?
 

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Top scorers: Chattanooga ? Sr. G Casey Jones (12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists); Jr. G Greg Pryor (10.5 points, 3.6 assists); Jr. F Tre McLean (9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds); Jr. F Justin Tuoyo (9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds). Wofford ? Sr. G Spencer Collins (14 points); Sr. F Justin Gordon (11.2 points, 4 rebounds); Fr. G Fletcher Magee (10.5 points); Jr. G Eric Garcia (9.6 points, 3.6 assists).

Notes: Wofford is coming off a 69-65 comeback victory Saturday against Samford. The Terriers trailed by nine points with 2:15 remaining but Collins scored 12 straight and Wofford the final 14 of the game. ?Chattanooga suffered its first league defeat Saturday at Furman, 70-55, outscored by 12 in the second half. ?Jones, the Southern Conference preseason player of the year, did not play and has missed eight games with an ankle injury. ?Tuoyo, the reigning defensive player of the year, has already set a school record for blocked shots and has 39 career games with at least two blocks. Robertson led the league in 3-point shooting percentage (.468) last season and was 26-for-52 on an eight-game winning streak that was halted at Furman. ?UTC missed a chance to start 14-2 for the first time since 1983-84. ?The Mocs are 11-0 when scoring at least 70 points and 5-0 in games decided by nine points or fewer. ?Chattanooga was No. 6 in the last CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll, which is released every Monday. Wofford is not on that list and did not receive any votes. Gonzaga is No. 1 with 24 of 31 first-place votes, followed by Saint Mary?s, Little Rock, Valparaiso and Evansville. ?Collins has scored 50 points in the past two home games. He had 25 against Samford and 25 the previous Saturday against UNCG. Those are one short of the career-high 26 last February at Mercer. ?Collins now has 1,433 points for 15th place on Wofford?s all-time scoring list. He passed Boyce Berry (1958-62) on Saturday and is 19 behind Stephon Blanding ((1986-90). ?Jaylen Allen, who made back-to-back 3-pointers from the same spot in the corner Saturday, scored 10 points for his highest game since 15 against then top-ranked North Carolina.
 
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