NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens joins Chattanooga in celebration after NIT Championship win

The Chattanooga Mocs were the best team in the SoCon conference all year, and most people believed they were destined for the NCAA Tournament. However, in the semifinal matchup against Furman, Chattanooga fell to the Paladins, ending their chance at a March Madness run.

The players were heartbroken. Guys like Honor Huff and Trey Bonham were especially crushed, as the duo didn’t get the chance to play in the biggest tournament of the year together. Head coach Dan Earl knew the Mocs' effort wasn’t the issue.

“I’m proud of our guys. I thought we fought throughout,” said Earl. “This was not a lack of being competitive or fighting; we just picked a bad day to not have our best game. We missed some 2-point shots, had some uncharacteristic turnovers, and didn’t have as many assists as we usually do. Stuff like that happens, but our guys should hold their heads high.”

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Chattanooga still had the opportunity to compete in the NIT Tournament, and the players were very aware of that.

“To not get it done, it hurts a lot, but on the bright side, we've got more basketball to play,” Bash Wieland said. “I’m just going to try to soak it in and enjoy every single second of that.”

Less than a month later, the Mocs found themselves in the NIT Championship game for the first time in school history. UTC alumnus Terrell Owens was in the building to watch his team make history. The game was everything a championship bout should be, going into overtime, with the Mocs winning by a single point. After the game, Owens was seen celebrating with the program-changing squad on the court.

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For Bonham and the rest of the seniors, their names will forever be written in the history books. Although defending the NIT championship next year is a goal for the Mocs, the ultimate focus now is on making it to the NCAA Tournament.