STATS |
NOTES |
QUOTES |
ABOUT CHATTANOOGA BASKETBALL
ATLANTA---The Chattanooga Mocs got into a shootout tonight in the GSU Sports Arena falling 95-88 at Georgia State. The 183 combined points in regulation are the most in a UTC game since the 125-85 Southern Conference win over The Citadel (210 pts) on Feb. 1, 2016.
Five Mocs reach double figures led by
David Jean-Baptiste's career-high-tying 19.
Jonathan Scott also set a new high with 17, while
Kevin Easley chipped in 15.
Jerry Johnson, Jr., added 14 points and
A.J. Caldwell tallied 11 for his first career double-figure night. D'Marcus Simonds led all scorers with 24 for the home team. Kane Williams and Devin Mitchell had 17 apiece.
The key stretch came late in the second half. Trailing by 11, Caldwell nailed a three with 7:32 to play to slice it to eight, 74-66. Three defensive stops in four possessions gave the Mocs an opening. They got good looks, but just couldn't get the key shot to fall.
"We had a couple shots that we missed when we really needed them," Coach
Lamont Paris noted. "We had a couple times where we had a three that would have been a big three from a momentum standpoint. It was only three points, but it would have meant more to them than to us.
"They were missed opportunities so to speak."
Four Johnson free throws were all the squad could muster over a two-plus-minute stretch. The Panthers scored on their next four trips and never looked back. Caldwell's three with 0.2 to play got the lead back into single digits and the 95-88 final.
The end of the first half was also a tough span for the Mocs. Jean-Baptiste's triple with 2:09 until intermission made it a two-point deficit, 40-38. Georgia State scored on three straight possessions to take a nine-point cushion to the locker room, 47-38.
"We were moving the ball, moving and cutting, that was big time," Easley shared. "I think it got away from us late in the second half, but that's a lesson to learn. We're a young team. We just have to live and learn out there."
Tonight was the start of a 3-game road trip. The Mocs head to Oxford Sunday for a matchup with Ole Miss (Dec. 16) on SEC Network. It shift quickly to UT Martin (Tuesday, Dec. 18) before completing the pre-holiday slate at home with a lunch date with Bryan. The businessperson special is a Noon start on Friday, Dec. 21. Tickets are available on GoMocs.com or by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627).
RECORDS
Chattanooga 5-6 | Georgia State 7-3
SERIES
The Mocs lead the series 24-3…11-1 in Atlanta.
3 NOTES TO KNOW
Check out the full complement of notes at the link above.
- Tonight was the debut of sophomore post Ramon Vila…the Barcelona, Spain native is a transfer from Arizona State where he played 33 games, starting four, in 2016-17…he enrolled at Chattanooga in January 2018 and became eligible today after the completion of finals yesterday.
- Former Mocs football star Jacob Huesman was in attendance tonight…Huesman just completed a season as an offensive assistant for the Panthers who also employ former UTC player and coach Rusty Wright.
- Jonathan Scott matched Kevin Easley's (at No. 8 Michigan) season high of five 3pt made tonight…Scott was 5-8 beyond the arc…8-12 (66.7%) over last two games.
3 STATS TO KNOW
Check out the full stats at the link above.
- Tied the school record with 17 3pt made and set a new one for attempts with 44…made 13 or more in three straight…averaging 12.2 3pt made per game over last five.
- 88 points is the third-highest total of the season, but best number against a DI opponent…tops the 83 from Sunday's win over VMI.
- David Jean-Baptiste has 11 assists with no TOs in two games as primary ball-handler playing 78 of a possible 80 minutes.
QUOTABLE
Check out all of what we heard at the quotes link above.
"We could have attacked more. I thought we had some times where we could have drove and attacked but we kicked it out. We had some good looks at three. We had some that were unguarded and we needed to knock those down. We also needed to make more stops on defense. It was hard because they're so quick. It was hard for our bigger guys to seal defensively and that hurt us a little bit." –
Coach Lamont Paris on what could have gone differently.
"It's helping me get my confidence back. It's so important. Staying in the gym has been the most important thing to me, getting 500 or more shots up. It's brought my confidence back and I just need to keep doing what I'm doing. My teammates will find me because they believe in me." –
Jonathan Scott on his shooting performances over the last two.
DRIVE FOR 25
The Mocs Club began its "Drive for 25" campaign recently. It aims to raise $25,000 in scholarship funds for UTC student-athletes to which an anonymous donor has generously agreed to match. There is also a "Drive for 25" raffle. For each gift at the below giving levels, donors will automatically be entered into drawing for the Mocs Club Raffle:
- $250 and above donors: Official UTC gear (2 winners)
- $500 and above donors: Signed Terrell Owens football (2 winners)
- $1,000 and above donors: 2 courtside seats to a mutually agreed upon home basketball game (2 winners)
- $2,500 and above donors: Official UTC Helmet (1 winner)
- $5,000 and above donors: Accompany the UTC Men's Basketball team to one mutually agreed upon away game
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Sunday, Dec. 16: at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
Tuesday, Dec. 18: at UT Martin, 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 21: Bryan, Noon
GOMOCS.COM IN A WORD FEATURE SERIES
David Jean-Baptiste –
Engaged
Thomas Smallwood –
Dad
Rod Johnson –
Mayor
Kevin Easley –
Goofy
Justin Brown –
Waffle
Jerry Johnson, Jr. –
Buckets
Jonathan Scott –
Energy
Keigan Kerby –
Hair
Duane Moss –
Dwight
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. 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.
