CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Ricky Taylor's (Brownsville, Tenn.) career-high 41 points sparked the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to a pivotal Southern Conference North Division win in dramatic fashion 111-110 over UNC Greensboro. Chattanooga (12-10/8-2) overcame a seven-point deficit inside two minutes of the second overtime to drop the Spartans to 3-16, 3-6 in the SoCon.
Taylor's night was not only a career high, but it was also the most points scored by a Moc against a Division I opponent inside McKenzie Arena. He was 12-18 from the field, 4-7 behind the arc and 13-15 from the free throw line in 44 minutes played.
Keegan Bell (Hazel Green, Ala.) added a career-high 24 points on 8-13 shooting making 6-10 from three-point range. He also chipped in eight assists and three steals while playing 48 of a possible 50 minutes.
UNCG was paced by Korey Van Dussen's 33 points, five rebounds and three assists. Brandon Evans came off the bench for 28 points, five assists and three steals. The duo combined to shoot 13 of 20 from beyond the three-point line as the team shot 17 of 43. The 17 threes made is a UNCG school record.
With the score tied 102-102 with 2:51 in the second overtime, the Spartans went on a 7-0 run with all seven coming from Van Dussen and Evans in just 52 seconds open up seven-point lead, 109-102, at 1:59.
Dontay Hampton (Chattanooga, Tenn.) scored on a three-point play on an offensive rebound at 1:49 to cut the lead to 109-105. Kyle Randall answered with a free throw at 1:37 to make it five points, 110-105.
Taylor buried a three-pointer just eight seconds later from the right corner to make it a two-point contest, 110-108. The Mocs followed with a defensive stop, but the Chattanooga got called for a 10-second violation giving the ball back to the Spartans with 40 seconds to play.
But the UTC defense made another play as Hampton was sent back to the line on an Evans foul. He made the second of two free throws as the Mocs set up a soft press off a 30-second timeout with 32 seconds to play.
Taylor tipped the ball from Randall into Bell's waiting hands. Bell, the SoCon leader in assists, quickly pitched it forward to a streaking Taylor for a layup and the lead, 111-110, with 15 seconds to go.
Trevis Simpson missed a jump shot and Chris Early (Huntington, W.Va.) grabbed his 11th rebound getting fouled with 1.9 left. He missed both free throws, but UNCG in the scramble for the rebound had to heave a prayer from the backcourt which was awry giving the Mocs a thrilling, nail-biting win.
Early posted his second double-double of the season, fourth career, with 11 points and 11 boards while adding three assists. He made 9-12 from the free throw line, both career highs. DeAntre Jefferson (Bloomington, Ill.) added 10 points and six boards as the Mocs held a 41-35 advantage on the glass, 7-2 in the overtime periods.
Randall had 18 points with five assists of his own in a team-high 44 minutes for UNCG. Simpson added 13 points off the bench as the Spartans' reserves out-scored the Mocs' 41-26.
The two teams combined to shoot 17-24 (70.8%) from the field in the two overtime periods combining for 55 points in those 10 minutes.
Chattanooga notched new school records with 36 free throws made (tied) and 53 attempted to shoot 67.9 percent. UTC shot season-bests of 59.3 percent (32-54) from the floor and 47.8 percent (11-23) from three-point range.
UNCG got off to a great start scoring the first six points en route to an 11-2 lead in the opening minutes. The Mocs' first basket of the game was a three-pointer by Hampton at 16:37. That bucket sparked a 30-11 run over next 12 minutes to put UTC up 10, 32-22, at 4:37.
The latter half of that was a 10-0 run in which Chattanooga held the Spartans without a field goal for 5:25. UNCG scored just two field goals and seven points in the last 9:41 of the first half to take a 40-29 lead into the break.
Bell and Taylor combined for nine points in the first 1:16 of the second half to give the Mocs a 20-point cushion, 49-29, at 18:36 on a Taylor layup. At 14:57, the lead was 20 again on a Taylor three-pointer, 59-39.
The Spartans stormed back with a 31-9 run of its own over the next 8:17 to take a two-point advantage on a Simpson layup in transition at 6:18. The Mocs retook the lead at 5:38, 71-70, on two Taylor free throws.
UNCG scored four straight in a 17-second span for a three-point margin, 74-71 on an Evans trey. The game kept moving back and forth with neither team leading by more than three when Randall buried a trey from the right wing with 23 seconds to go for an 83-80 Spartan lead.
It was Bell's turn. Coming off a screen, he hit a three-pointer off a feed from Early inside five seconds to knot the game at 83-all going into the first overtime.
The first overtime matched the final 10 minutes of regulation. Neither team could mount more than a three-point lead. Twice UNCG went up three on a layup by Randall (3:08) and three-pointer by Van Dussen (2:26) only for the Mocs to respond.
Bell answered Randall's lay-in with a three-pointer at 2:42 making it 92-92. Back-to-back layups from Taylor and Jefferson followed Van Dussen's trey as the Mocs went up 96-95 with a minute to play.
Two Taylor free throws with 40 seconds left gave UTC a 98-95 lead. But Van Dussen was not to be denied. He hit a three-pointer with 34 seconds to go tying the game at 98.
Early sank two free throws with 5.2 on the clock for a 100-98 lead, but the Spartans' Simpson went coast-to-coast on the inbounds pass laying the ball in at the buzzer to force the second overtime.
It was a McKenzie Arena record 221 points eclipsing 216 on Dec. 29, 1992 against Southern in regulation in the opening round of the Dr Pepper Classic. Taylor's 41 points was the second most by a UTC player in a SoCon game behind 42 by John Oliver at Georgia Southern on Jan. 21, 1995.
Van Dussen carried the Spartans in the overtime periods. He scored 15 of his 33 in those periods with 11 coming in the first five minutes. He fouled out with 1:49 to go on Hampton's offensive rebound and three-point play.
The game featured 16 tie scores and a gut-wrenching 15 lead changes.
Chattanooga remains home to host Elon Saturday night at 6 p.m. Fans can access live video, audio and stats via Chattanooga All-Access on GoMocs.com. The game will also broadcast on the Mocs Sports Network on ESPN 105.1 FM in the Chattanooga area with the "Voice of the Mocs" Jim Reynolds.
It is also Legends Weekend with a basketball reunion for the storied Mocs tradition. More than 60 players, coaches and staff returned for a weekend together. The group will be honored at halftime.
"Mocs Hoopla" celebrating six games in 13 days between the men's and women's basketball programs continues Saturday. Students are encouraged to wear blue and there is a Spirit Award for the student with the best homemade Mocs shirt.
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ChattanoogaMocs, or on Twitter, www.twitter.com/GoMocs.
