CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Appalachian State University men’s basketball continues its road trip at defending Southern Conference champion Chattanooga on Saturday evening.

The Mountaineers won their fifth game in six tries with a 68-55 win at Samford on Thursday. The Apps opened a 20-point lead at halftime before Samford rallied to pull within six points in the second half. Donald Sims scored five points late in the game to ice the win and finished with 13 in the game.

He was 3-for-3 from the free throw line to improve to 94.7 percent on the season. The junior ranks first in the nation in the category. At 19.1 points per game, he is the SoCon’s second-leading scorer.

Scouting Chattanooga
• The Mocs snapped a four-game skid with an 80-67 win over Western Carolina on Thursday night.
• Ty Patterson leads the squad with 15.6 points per game while Ridge McKeither hauls in 5.5 of the team’s 38.0 rebounds per game.
• Saturday’s matchup pits the league’s top shooting team (ASU - .471) against the top defensive team (UTC - .408). The squads rank first and second in the SoCon in rebounding.
• UTC is 4-5 in league play and 3-2 at home. The squad is 2-3 against teams from the North, including two losses against Elon.

The Series vs. Chattanooga
• Chattanooga holds a 39-27 advantage in the all-time series, including a 22-7 mark at home.
• Appalachian has won four of the last six, including a season split last season, with each team winning a close game at home.
• Head coach Buzz Peterson owns a 6-2 record against the Mocs, including three wins in the Southern Conference tournament.
• Donald Sims scored 35 points, including nine three-pointers, in ASU’s 88-82 win last February. He broke an 82-82 tie with two treys in the final minute.
• The junior guard averages 24.8 points in four games against the defending SoCon champions.
• Kellen Brand added 18 points in the win and averages 13.0 points per game in six contests against the Mocs.
• ASU’s last win in the series at McKenzie Arena came in 2006-07. ASU defeated Georgia Southern in last season’s SoCon tournament.

Coming Up Next
• ASU takes a quick break from SoCon play on Monday to host King College in a 7 p.m. clash.
• App State Gives To Haiti is a benefit fundraiser taking place, campus-wide through the ACT office on Monday, February 1st. In an effort to show support, the Men's Basketball game on February 1st has been declared a RED-OUT. Please come support your Mountaineers and the nation of Haiti by wearing red. The game begins at 7 p.m. Click here for more information.