Chattanooga clinched a 77-70 victory over Elon on Friday, with Matt Hampton lighting up the scoreboard for 18 points to lead the Mocs. It was a crucial win that pushed Chattanooga’s record to an even 2-2, matching Elon’s 2-2 start to the season.
Mocs Dominate Early, Build Unstoppable Lead
The Mocs came out firing, seizing the lead for good with a full 17:50 left in the first half, a statement that Elon just couldn’t answer. Hampton was a force from the jump, contributing nine of his 18 points before the break, helping Chattanooga head into halftime with a solid 41-32 advantage. The Mocs kept the pressure on in the second half, unleashing a brutal 12-0 run that ballooned their lead to 17 points, sitting at 53-36 with 16:37 remaining. Elon tried to claw back, but that kind of lead, especially after an early first half takeover, is just too tough to overcome.
Elon’s Effort Not Enough to Contain Chattanooga
While Hampton was the star for Chattanooga, getting five rebounds to go with his 18 points, he wasn’t alone. Yonatan Levy dropped 13 points, hitting 4 of 9 from the field and a perfect 5 for 5 from the free-throw line, also grabbing five rebounds. Josh Bowman chipped in with 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting, plus 2 of 3 from the charity stripe. For Elon, Randall Pettus II led their scoring effort with 19 points, while Iker Garmendia added 16 points and an impressive five blocks. Isaiah Mbeng also hit double digits with 10 points, but their collective firepower just couldn’t match Chattanooga’s consistent scoring and dominant stretches.
Chattanooga will look to build on this win when they visit Winthrop on Wednesday. Elon, meanwhile, has to regroup fast as they head to South Carolina, also on Wednesday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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