Box Score

Chattanooga, TN - Bryan Richardson drained a three-pointer with 1:37 left to play, and Chris Brown sank two free throws with 12 seconds remaining as the Chattanooga men's basketball team held off UNC Greensboro, 76-70, Monday in a Southern Conference game.

Richardson's bank-shot three-pointer, his third of the night, gave the Mocs a 74-68 cushion.  UNCG's Rodney Blackstock made two free throws with 1:15 to play as the Spartans inched to within four at 74-70.

UNCG missed two three-point tries in the final 41 seconds.  Brown made both ends of a one-and-one situation to ice the victory for the Mocs.

With the win, Chattanooga improves to 8-5 on the season and 1-1 in Southern Conference play. The Spartans slip to 4-8 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Chattanooga's Ashley Champion tied the game 36-36 on the first possession of the second half. Ronnie Taylor converted two free throws after being fouled on a layup attempt to put the Spartans back up by two. Back-to-back Chattanooga buckets gave the Mocs a 40-38 lead at the 18:13 mark, their first advantage since leading 15-14, bringing the home crowd to life

Champion then converted a three-point play to give the Mocs their biggest lead of the game, 48-42, at the 15:59 mark of the second half. The Spartans tied the game at 53-53 on a Ronnie Burrell jumper, but the Mocs then ran off six straight points to go up 59-53. Alphonso Pugh converted his own three-point play with 8:15 left in regulation to give the Mocs a 10 point lead, 68-58.

UNCG took a 16-15 lead on a Dwon Clifton runner at the 14 minute mark of the first half capping off a string of eight lead change and one tie of the half. The Spartans then took their biggest lead of the lead at the 9:22 mark when Jay Joseph hit Ray Bristow for an open 3-pointer on the left baseline for a 27-21 advantage.

The Spartans maintained the lead the rest of the first half and took a slim 36-34 lead into the intermission. Jay Joseph came off the bench for the first time in 103 games and paced the Spartans with nine first half points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. The Spartans distributed the ball well in the first twenty minutes of play, registering 12 assists and pressured Chattanooga into 12 turnovers. The Mocs held an 18-13 advantage on the glass and outshot the Spartans, 53.6% (15-28) to 46.9% (15-32).

Burrell led the Spartans with 18 points, 14 coming in the second half. Joseph added 15 points off the bench, while Taylor chipped in with 11.

UNCG will return to action again Saturday, January 10, against conference foe East Tennessee State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm in Fleming Gymnasium. This will mark the Spartans first home game since December 13. The Mocs will also return to action on Saturday, as they host Davidson at 7 pm.