(Photo Credit: Dale Rutemeyer/GoMocs.com) Senior guard Ronrico White led the way with 16 points and five assists

NOTES | STATS | PHOTO GALLERY

ASHEVILLE, N.C.---The Chattanooga Mocs Southern Conference tournament came to an abrupt end losing 69-67 in the quarterfinals to Furman. Chattanooga drops to 22-10 on the season, while the Paladins improve to 10-21.

Ronrico White led the Mocs with 16 points and a game-high five assists. Casey Jones chipped in 12 points and three blocks. Furman was paced by Devin Sibley's 16 points and six rebounds, while Stephen Croone added 13 points.

Greg Pryor's three-pointer with 6:47 to go gave the Mocs a 49-45 lead. The Paladins answered with eight unanswered points to flip the deficit to a four-point lead. Daniel Fowler's jumper with 4:58 remaining was Furman's last field goal of the game.

The Paladins lead swelled to five on two Sibley free tosses at 2:27. It was cut to two on Chuck Ester's free throw with 1:11 left, 58-56. Croone drove hard to the basket into Ester just inside a minute to play. The call went Furman's way with a block. Croone sank both free throws to extend it to 60-56.

White kept his team in it. He scored on two free throws with 32 seconds to go and sank a step-back 3pt from deep to make it a three-point game, 64-61, with a little less than 22 ticks left. The Paladins stayed strong through the onslaught.

Croone (4) and Geoff Beans (2) made free throws. With 13.9 to play, White was fouled shooting a three. His three at the line made it a two-point game, 66-64. Beans sank two more from the charity stripe before White drilled another three with 1.4 left. The Mocs fouled Beans at 1.1 who made one of two for the 69-67 final margin as UTC could not get a shot off before the buzzer.

“I think somebody already said it,” Jones said. “(White) played like he didn't want to go home. Him as a player, he means a lot to me and to all of us, it's just really hard to not come through for him down the stretch.”

That last free throw was the only one the Paladins missed in the final minute. They made 18 of 22 (81.8%) over the last five minutes of the game, 11 of 12 (91.7%) in the final minute.

“I'm just really hurt for (seniors) Rico, Lance (Stokes) and Marty (Bareika),” coach Will Wade stated. “Just devastated...no other way to say. But give Furman credit. They've been playing really well down the stretch. We couldn't guard them off the bounce which ultimately did us in.”

While the Paladins free throw shooting was certainly a headline, opportunistic would be a key word. Chattanooga had just three turnovers in the second half, but the underdogs turned that into eight points. Furman also netted nine of its 11 second chance points in the second frame.

Chattanooga built a 31-26 halftime advantage. Jones' layup at 4:39 capped a 15-5 run to take its largest lead of the game of 10, 24-14. Furman scored eight straight to get within two on Croone's layup just 1:37 later. Justin Tuoyo's layup with 45 seconds to go set the halftime score.

The Mocs season is over pending postseason tournament bids. There are three possibilities other than the NCAA Tourney with the NIT, CIT and CMI events. Stay tuned to GoMocs.com for more information when bids come out.

GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs.  The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter.  Find out how to join the UTC Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.