Chattanooga earns spot in NIT title game with win over Loyola Chicago
Trey Bonham scored a game-high 23 points and Honor Huff made the game-sealing 3-pointer to push Chattanooga past Loyola Chicago 80-73 on Tuesday night in Indianapolis, clinching a spot in the NIT championship game.
Huff's 12 points came on four 3-pointers, none bigger than the tough stepback shot he made with 35 seconds to go to make it 77-73 Mocs.
Bash Wieland scored 12 points and Makai Richards added 10 on 5-for-5 shooting as Chattanooga (28-9) advanced to face UC Irvine in Thursday's title game.
Jayden Dawson tallied 19 points and six assists to pace Loyola Chicago (25-12). Miles Rubin had 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting and six rebounds, Jalen DeLoach scored 13 points on perfect shooting from the floor (4-for-4) and foul line (5-for-5) and Des Watson added 10 and six boards.
Chattanooga led by as many as 10 in the second half but the Ramblers clawed within one possession as Francis Nwaokorie and Watson hit 3-pointers. Rubin made his seventh bucket to cut it to 72-70, but he committed goaltending on Richards' layup on the next trip down the floor.
Watson made another 3 to make it 74-73 with 2:37 left. The Ramblers proceeded to miss their final four attempts from the field, a tough end to a 50 percent shooting night.
Bonham ended the game with a fastbreak dunk. The Mocs shot 52.5 percent while controlling the boards 29-22.
A highly competitive first half ended in a 38-34 Loyola Chicago lead. The Ramblers broke out to a 36-27 advantage thanks to seven straight points, but the Mocs responded with seven straight of their own.
The tide turned in the first five minutes of the second half with a 13-4 Chattanooga surge powered by Weiland's three buckets.
Not long after Loyola had crept within three, Bonham drilled a long 3 and Collin Mulholland's layup gave Chattanooga the first 10-point lead of the game at 67-57 with 7:33 to go.
Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Christian Watson analysis: Electric upside, but injuries cloud future in Green Bay
Christian Watson analysis: Electric upside, but injuries cloud future in Green Bay Christian Watson is in an interesting and difficult situation entering the final year of his rookie deal in Green Bay, as he rehabs from an ACL injury which is expected to cost him at least part of the 2025 season, despite reportedly being ahead of schedule in his recovery. This leaves his future with the Packers somewhat up in the air. Finding a compromise on a contract to keep him on the team in 2026 and beyond projects to be difficult, and depends greatly on how quickly and effectively he can return to his pre-injury form. In terms of what Watson has brought to Green Bay in his three years so far, here is what the numbers say about his overall profile as a wide receiver: Strengths Watson's primary usage in his NFL career to date has been as a deep threat, where he is a constant threat to create an explosive play due to his electric speed and unique size. Among qualified NFL receivers, he ranks in the 92nd percentile in average depth of target (ADOT) since entering the league, and the 85th percentile for yards per reception (Y/REC), evidencing his ability to hurt teams deep. Whenever he has been on the field, Watson has been a very valuable receiver, ranking in the 72nd percentile for yards per route run (Y/RR), one of the more reliable statistics for analyzing the quality of receivers. His speed has also allowed him to be one of the better receivers in the league in creating yards after the catch, ranking in the 74th percentile in yards after catch per reception (YAC/REC). If Watson gets the ball in space, it is hard to run him down. Watson's stature has helped him to be strong in contested catch situations, not just deep, but in all areas of the field, as he is able to box out defenders. He ranks in the 72nd percentile in contested catch percentage (CTC%). With 14 touchdowns in three years, Watson has a knack for finding the end zone. This number may not seem overly impressive, but when taking account of how much time he has missed, it becomes more notable. Watson ranks in the 74th percentile for touchdowns per target. The intermediate part of the field is the portion where Watson has been the most efficient, ranking in the 70th percentile for both Y/REC and Y/RR. The lowest percentage of his dropped passes came in the 10-19 yard area, as he ranks in the 66th percentile for drop rate in this range. A particularly important element of Watson's game for this Packers team has been his ability to beat man coverage, an aspect many of his teammates have struggled with. Watson has been excellent against man, ranking in the 82nd percentile for Y/RR and the 68th for Y/REC. He has often been Green Bay's answer when presented with man coverage, and his absence was certainly felt when he missed time in 2024 in that regard. He is still effective against zone, ranking in the 86th percentile for Y/REC and the 61st for Y/REC, although his drop rate is much worse, ranking in the 27th percentile compared to 65th percentile versus man. Weaknesses The flashes are so bright with Watson, and the impact he can have on a game on just a few targets is special, but arguably the biggest problem is that he has simply not been able to have that impact regularly enough. A huge part of that is availability. Watson has missed a lot of time with injuries in his first three seasons. Combine that with the competitive receiver group he plays in, and Watson ranks in just the 28th percentile for targets since his rookie year. It feels a bit harsh to call this a weakness, but for one reason or another, Watson has not been able to become a high volume receiver, and his role has settled in as something of a boom/bust rather than a true "number one" receiver. Watson has battled drops throughout his NFL career so far, like many of his teammates, ranking in the 32nd percentile in drop rate since 2022. Despite his elite speed which helps him get yards after the catch, Watson is not elusive with the ball in his hands, ranking in the 35th percentile for missed tackles forced per reception. He is not a shifty, agile player in that sense. There are not many true weaknesses with Watson, with the injuries, which are not his fault, the biggest issue which have caused his NFL career to feel very stop/start. Trending up After an extremely tough rookie year in terms of drops, ranking in just the 3rd percentile, Watson has actually improved quite significantly since then, ranking in the 45th percentile in 2023 and the 46th last season. These numbers are still slightly below average, but nothing to worry about. Despite his size/speed profile, Watson was not an especially efficient deep target as a rookie, ranking in the 32nd percentile for Y/RR. Part of that may have been a lack of chemistry with Aaron Rodgers, and he has become a much more effective deep threat since Jordan Love took over, ranking in the 42nd percentile for Y/RR in 2023 and the 72nd in 2024. His Y/REC has also improved each year. Trending down Watson showed some ability to make defenders miss as a rookie, ranking in the 60th percentile in missed tackles forced per reception, but he dropped to the 30th percentile in 2023 and the 15th in 2024. It is likely at least partially due to his usage and not being put in positions to make things happen after the catch as often. Touchdown totals can be volatile and are somewhat circumstantial, and Watson ran colder in that regard in 2024, ranking in the 33rd percentile compared to the 98th and 91st in his first two years. While Watson has become a crucial part of Green Bay's ability to overcome man coverage, he has been a much lesser part of their offense against zone coverage, which makes sense given the Packers have plenty of other receivers who excel versus zone. After ranking in the 66th percentile in target percentage against zone as a rookie, he only ranked in the 32nd and 22nd percentile in the last two years respectively. Overall, Watson has a unique skill set and explosive potential, and on a snap to snap basis has arguably been Green Bay's best receiver in his three years with the team, but his regular impact has unfortunately been consistently hampered by injuries. The ACL tear has thrown another wrench into the equation on whether the Packers keep Watson long term, but if he can return earlier than expected and quickly regain his full abilities, he has a chance to show enough to convince Green Bay he is worth handing an extension to. Given how difficult it could be to find a number both sides are happy with though, and the depth the Packers now have at receiver, it seems it will be harder to thread the needle on the timeline that would have to occur in order for Watson to be a Packer in 2026.
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Chase Burns projected to start at Knoxville
Chase Burns projected to start at Knoxville Knoxville (25-28) will continue its home series Friday against Chattanooga (26-24) at Covenant Health Park. The Lookouts lead the series, 2-1, against the Smokies. Former Vol Chase Burns (5-1) is projected to start for Chattanooga on Friday. Nick Dean (1-0) is also listed as Knoxville's projected starter for Game 4 of the Double-A Southern League series. First pitch between the Smokies and Lookouts is slated for 7 p.m. EDT on Friday. Burns played for the Vols from 2022-23 before transferring to Wake Forest in 2024. He was selected No. 2 overall in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft by Cincinnati. Burns (13-5) appeared in 35 games, including 22 starts, at Tennessee. He recorded a 3.54 ERA, 217 strikeouts and two saves in 152.1 innings. Tennessee (57-9) won the SEC regular season and tournament championships in 2022. The Vols were a No. 1 overall seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament and were eliminated in super regional play by Notre Dame. Tennessee advanced to the College World Series in 2023. Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Browns' Deshaun Watson Sends Strong Message Amid Injury Recovery
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Cleveland Browns have five quarterbacks on their roster heading into 2025 training camp and preseason. Deshaun Watson is one of those five quarterbacks, although he is not expected to play barring an unforeseen change. Outside of Watson, the Browns have Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel on the roster. It will be a fun competition to watch between hungry players trying to earn playing time. For Watson, the Cleveland veteran is still working his way back from tearing his Achilles last season. He re-tore the Achilles during his initial recovery, which set him back even further. Despite the injuries, the quarterback is simply focused on the details. Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo byIn a recent media appearance, Watson spoke out about his focus as he comes back from the injury. He's working on fine-tuning his game. Read more: Former Steelers Star Rips Into Team After Aaron Rodgers Signing "I think it's a fun challenge, just cause we starting from ground zero," Watson said. "I've been throwing my whole life. It's really natural but it's the little details and fundamentals that comes with it to be a little more accurate, to add that more power, that rotation. The more fluent you can be as a passer, as a thrower it'll just flow better. Obviously, I don't wanna be hurt, but at the same time, using this moment to really focus on the details that I wouldn't focus on if I was rushing back." Things have not gone well for the 29-year-old since being traded to the Browns. Originally viewed as the answer to the team's long-term quarterback question, Watson has had three straight bad years. In 2022, he played in just six games for the Browns, completing 58.2 percent of his passes for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He backed that up in 2023 with six games played, a 61.4 percent completion rate, 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. Read more: Browns OC Delivers New Update on QB Situation Last season, there was hope that he could finally put everything together. However, he completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions in seven games before the season-ending Achilles tear. Watson may be unlikely to play for Cleveland again, but he's taking his recovery in stride and simply focusing on what he can control. No one knows what the future has in store. He's under contract with the Browns for big money for both the 2025 and 2026 seasons before becoming a free agent. Watson will simply continue focusing on doing his best to improve and get back on the field when he's given a chance to do so. For more Cleveland Browns and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
