East Tennessee State (8-5, 0-0) vs. Chattanooga (10-3, 0-0)
McKenzie Arena, Chattanooga, Tennessee; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: East Tennessee State and Chattanooga meet in the first conference game of the season for both teams. In conference play last season, East Tennessee State finished with eight wins and seven losses, while Chattanooga won nine games and lost seven.
STEPPING UP: The explosive Malachi Smith has put up 20.4 points and 6.5 rebounds to lead the way for the Mocs. David Jean-Baptiste is also a primary contributor, maintaining an average of 14.5 points per game. The Buccaneers are led by Ledarrius Brewer, who is averaging 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds.LOVE FOR LEDARRIUS: L. Brewer has connected on 32.3 percent of the 62 3-pointers he’s attempted and has made 10 of 20 over the last five games. He’s also converted 63 percent of his free throws this season.
UNDEFEATED WHEN: Chattanooga is a perfect 7-0 when it turns the ball over 11 times or fewer. The Mocs are 3-3 when they record more than 11 turnovers. The East Tennessee State defense has forced 12.8 turnovers per game overall this year and 12 per game over its last five.
ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Buccaneers have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Mocs. Chattanooga has 32 assists on 78 field goals (41 percent) over its previous three outings while East Tennessee State has assists on 45 of 89 field goals (50.6 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Chattanooga has committed a turnover on just 16.8 percent of its possessions this season, which is the lowest rate among all SoCon teams. The Mocs have turned the ball over only 11 times per game this season.
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