FINAL STATS

POSTGAME NOTES 

 

ELON, N.C.---Forty minutes was not enough.  Well, neither was 45 minutes.  It took 50 minutes for a decision as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's men's basketball team fell 86-85 at Elon (5-11/2-6) in two overtimes.  Chattanooga (9-11/5-4) is now tied for first in the Southern Conference North Division with conference newcomer Samford.

 

Brett James got Elon off to a good start with 12 of its first 15 points en route to an early 19-15 lead.  Stephen McDowell hit a three-pointer at 8:25 to cut the margin to one, 19-18, before an 8-0 run pushed the Phoenix lead to nine at 27-18 at 5:44 capped by two Ola Atoyebi free throws.

 

The Mocs closed to three, 29-26, at 3:34 on two McDowell free throws, but scored just one point the rest of the way as Elon out-scored them 9-1 over the final 3:34 to take a 38-27 lead into the break.  Chattanooga made just two field goals in the final 8:25 of the half.

 

Down 42-29 at 16:45, the Mocs began to show some life.  A 10-0 run over the next 1:45 closed the margin to three on a Nicchaeus Doaks trey at the top of the key to force a Phoenix timeout with the score 42-39.

 

The Phoenix answered keyed by Atoyebi.  He scored nine straight points leading a 12-6 push to extend Elon's lead to 54-45 at 11:55.

 

The Mocs battled back closing the lead to one, 68-67 on a Doaks putback at 4:37.  After a long possession for the Phoenix with several offensive rebounds, Doaks stepped to the line at 3:12 and made the second of two attempts to knot the score at 68.  Two Keyron Sheard free throws at 2:55 gave the Mocs their first lead of the second half, 70-68.

 

With the Mocs up 74-71, Elon called a 30-second timeout with 20 seconds on the shot clock.  The ensuing possession led to a T.J. Douglas three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the score at 74.

 

Khalil Hartwell hit two free throws at 17.4 seconds to put the Mocs back up 76-74.  The Chattanooga defense stymied the Phoenix into taking a timeout with 4.7 seconds to go.  The defense kept Elon scrambling after the timeout, but Chris Long found Adam Constantine who made a layup as time expired to send the game into overtime.

 

Doaks scored the first four points in OT before Goffney was called for a foul battling for a rebound at 3:45.  James made one of the two free throws to cut the advantage to 80-77.

 

Neither team scored until Atoyebi scored two on a breakaway dunk at 1:27 of OT to close the gap to one, 80-79.

 

With 48.1 left, Doaks picked up his fifth foul on a James drive with James making both to give Elon its first lead of OT at 81-80.  Atoyebi fouled Sheard on a driving play which brought the score to 81-81 at 30.2.  The miss on the second was rebounded by the Mocs Chris Early.  Sheard ran down the clock and got off a good look from 17 feet but the shot was just off to send the game into a second overtime.

 

The Mocs struck first again on a Sheard layup at 3:30 to go up 83-81.  Atoyebi answered on a putback at 2:20 to once again tie the score at 83.

 

Josh Bonney hit a jumper in the left corner to give Elon an 85-83 lead with 1:35 left.  Ty Patterson came back with a basket of his own at 1:23 to knot it up again.  Atoyebi hit one of two at 42.6 to get the lead at 86-85.  After Patterson missed three free throws, Early got another big offensive board.  In the final seconds, the Mocs could not find the basket they needed as Elon escaped with the 86-85 upset win.

 

Chattanooga was led by Goffney's 23.  He scored 16 of those points in the second half leading the Mocs back into the game.  With 10 rebounds, he was one of two Mocs to notch a double-double on the evening as Khalil Hartwell had 10 points and 13 boards.

 

Five Mocs in all scored in double figures as the double-double duo was joined by McDowell with 19, while Doaks and Sheard each scored 13 as Sheard added three assists and a career high-tying five steals.  McDowell played the entire 50 minutes.

 

James led the Phoenix with 25 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and five blocks.  Atoyebi came off the bench add 22 points and 11 rebounds, as Constantine chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds of his own.

 

The Mocs return home to meet Davidson on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in the McKenzie Arena at 7 p.m.  Two pairs of two courtside seats are currently up for bid at GoMocs.com.