Two of UTC's most memorable athletics accomplishments will be
commemorated this Saturday on the UTC campus.

 

The University will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1976-77 men's
basketball team's NCAA Division II National Championship and the 10th
anniversary of the 1996-97 men's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance.

 

A reception for both teams will be held Saturday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in
the Tennessee Room at the University Center.  The general public is
invited to attend at a cost of $10 per person.  Heavy hors d'oeuvres and
beverages will be available.

 

Both teams will also be honored that night at halftime of the Mocs'
basketball game against Jacksonville State.  Tipoff at The McKenzie
Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and follows the Lady Mocs' basketball
game against the College of Charleston which begins at 5 p.m.

 

The 1976-77 squad, under Head Coach Ron Shumate, responded from an NCAA
Division II runner-up finish the previous season to defeat
Randolph-Macon 71-62 in the 1977 NCAA finals for the school's only
basketball National Championship.

 

That season, the Mocs compiled a 27-5 overall record, a mark that is
still stands as the most wins in a season in program history.  The
following year, UTC and the Mocs moved up a level in competition to NCAA
Division I.

 

Mack McCarthy's 1996-97 team began the schedule losing seven of its
first 12 games.  But after the New Year, everything began to click as
the Mocs rolled off 11 consecutive victories and concluded the season
with the program's most successful run in NCAA Division I Tournament
history.

 

UTC won the Southern Conference Tournament title with a thrilling,
one-point, overtime victory over Marshall on a putback by Chris Mims.
The Mocs earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and,
as the 14th seed in the Southeast Regional, defeated third-seeded
Georgia, 73-70 and sixth-seeded Illinois, 75-63.

 

The Mocs took their momentum and a huge following to Birmingham, Ala.,
for a Sweet 16 matchup with 10th-seeded Providence.  The joyous ride
ended with a 71-65 loss to the Friars.

 

Team members expected to participate in the 1976-77 reunion are Shumate,
Howard Duncan, Kevin Galbraith, Book McCray, Darrell Payne and Darryl
Yarbrough.  Expected from the 1996-97 squad are Marquis Collier, Isaac
Conner, Preston Hawkins, Billy Hutchins, Keynon Lake, Chris Mims, Wes
Moore and Akintoye Oloko.

 

Staff members and radio announcers from each team will also be in
attendance, as well as a few other surprise guests.

 

McCarthy, currently the Associate Head Coach at East Carolina
University, will be unable to attend as his team will be playing at SMU
in Dallas, Texas, this weekend.  Johnny Taylor and Willie Young, members
of the 1996-97 team, are competing professionally overseas.  Gary Stich,
from the 1976-77 squad, will be traveling to South Africa on business.
All four have expressed their deepest regrets at not being able to
attend.

 

Tickets for the reception can be purchased at the entrance to the
Tennessee Room on the day of the reception.  Tickets for both basketball
games are still available and can be purchased on-line by visiting
www.GoMocs.com <http://www.gomocs.com/>  or by calling 423-266-MOCS.

 

For more information, please contact the UTC Sports Information Office
at 423-425-5292.

 

 

Jeff Romero

Assistant Athletics Director

for Media Relations

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

615 McCallie Ave.

Chattanooga, TN  37403

W:  423-425-5292

C:   423-503-8815

 


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