Chattanooga defeats Samford 82-76

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Justin Tuoyo finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, leading five Chattanooga players in double figures, and the Mocs defeated Samford

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Justin Tuoyo finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, leading five Chattanooga players in double figures, and the Mocs defeated Samford 82-76 on Thursday night.

Ronrico White added 14 points, Martynas Bareika and Casey Jones chipped in 12 apiece, and Chuck Ester had 10 for Chattanooga (12-7, 5-1 Southern). The Mocs had a 35-28 rebounding advantage.

Samford (7-12, 0-6) shot 53.3 percent from the field, but couldn't take advantage of Chattanooga's foul trouble, hitting 26 of 42 from the line. Darius Jones-Gibson led the Bulldogs with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while Evan Taylor and Brandon Roberts each contributed 13 points.

Chattanooga broke away from a tie with a 17-4 run sparked by a three-point play and layup from Tre' McLean to lead 71-58 with 4:21 remaining. Samford mustered up a late surge to pull within four, and the Mocs hit 4 of 6 free throws to hang on.