CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. | Despite a season-best performance from Reginald Gee, Alabama State fell 67-50 to Chattanooga in the opening game of the Cayman Islands Classic – Chattanooga Bracket Monday night at McKenzie Arena.
 
The game was the fourth in nine days for the Hornets who have been on the road since November 11, and is the fifth consecutive road game to open the 2017-18 season.
 
Gee finished with 24 points on 53.8 (7-of-13) percent shooting from the floor, including three three-pointers. He also connected on 7-of-8 from the free throw line. The finish was just four points short of Gee's career-high of 28 points scored last year against Mississippi Valley State.
 
Tobi Ewuosho added nine points in the loss, connecting on 5-of-6 from the charity stripe, while Jacoby Ross finished with seven.
 
Makinde London led Chattanooga (1-2) with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Rodney Chatman scored 13 Nat Dixon added 12 for the Mocs.
 
Alabama State (0-5) struggled from the field in the first half, shooting just 30 (6-of-20) percent without hitting a three-point basket. Meanwhile, Chattanooga was able to build a big halftime lead due in part to shooting 54.5 (12-of-22) percent from the floor and 66.7 (6-of-9) percent from beyond the arc. They also went to the free throw line 10 more times than the Hornets, hitting 76.9 (10-of-13) percent from the charity stripe.
 
The Mocs opened the game on a 7-0 run before Alabama State scored their basket on a Steve Rogers' jumper with 15:39 to play that forced a media timeout to be reviewed for a three-pointer. After the timeout, Tobi Ewuosho followed up his own miss for another Hornets' basket with 14:13 left in the opening half; however, that was as close as Alabama State could get as Chattanooga went on a 13-0 run over the next five minutes to push the lead to 20-4.
 
Alabama State opened the second half on a 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 20 (42-22), as Gee scored 12 consecutive points for the Hornets. Alabama State was able to improve their shooting in the second half hitting 36.0 (9-of-25) percent from the floor and 50.0 (4-of-8) percent from the beyond the arc.
 
For the game, the Hornets finished shooting 33.3 (15-of-45) percent from the floor and 33.3 (4-of-12) percent from beyond the arc. They also finished shooting 76.2 (16-of-21) percent from the free throw line, while Chattanooga ended the night 52.5 (21-of-40) percent from the floor and 52.6 (10-of-19) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 75.0 (15-of-20) percent from the free throw line
 
Alabama State will face Savannah State Tuesday afternoon at 5 pm (est) at McKenzie Arena in the final game of the a 10-day road trip for the Hornets.
 
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