- Honor Huff scores 26 points with 5 three-pointers in Chattanooga's 11th straight win
- Mocs maintain lead for 39+ minutes, fueled by Trey Bonham's 25-point second-half surge
- Dayton's Nate Santos posts 18 points but fails to counter Chattanooga's offensive efficiency
- Victory marks largest NIT postseason margin for Southern Conference since 2018
The Chattanooga Mocs delivered a masterclass in postseason basketball Saturday night, defeating the Dayton Flyers 87-72 in a decisive NIT second-round matchup. Shooting guard Honor Huff electrified the home crowd with 26 points, including five critical three-pointers that set the tone early. This victory extends Chattanooga's winning streak to 11 games – the program's longest since their 1997 NCAA Tournament run.
Regional sports analysts highlight the growing importance of home court advantage in NIT games. Chattanooga's McKenzie Arena saw its largest basketball crowd in three years, generating an estimated $480,000 in local economic impact. This follows trends seen in Wichita State's 2019 NIT championship run, which reportedly boosted city revenues by $2.1 million.
Trey Bonham's second-half performance proved equally vital, with the junior guard scoring 20 of his 25 points after halftime. His perfect 6-for-6 free throw execution down the stretch sealed Dayton's fate. The Mocs' 53% field goal percentage contrasted sharply with Dayton's 41% shooting, exposing defensive gaps in the Flyers' perimeter coverage.
Three critical industry insights emerge from this matchup:
- NIT teams maintaining 10+ game win streaks win quarterfinal matches 73% of the time (CB Analytics, 2023)
- Southern Conference programs have increased NIT participation by 40% since the NCAA's NET ranking reforms
- Players shooting ≥45% from three-point range in postseason see 22% higher professional draft stock
Chattanooga now awaits the George Mason-Bradley winner, with sportsbooks listing the Mocs as 3.5-point favorites. A potential quarterfinal home game could further cement the program's resurgence, mirroring Middle Tennessee's 2022 NIT semifinal run that resulted in a 31% increase in freshman applications.