NOTES/QUOTES | PHOTOS

CHATTANOOGA (November 21, 2024) – The Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball team posted its third-straight victory after notching a 72-52 decision over NAIA member and Knoxville-based Johnson University (TN) on Thursday night inside McKenzie Arena.
 
Chattanooga (3-3) led by just two at the halftime break, 32-30, before outscoring Johnson (5-1; game was marked as an EXH) by a wide 40-22 margin over the final 20 minutes of play. The Mocs forced the Royals to turn the ball over 10 times in the final half and limited the squad to just a 25.0% (2-of-8) mark from three during the span.
 
Sean Cusano led all UTC scorers, tied a game-high and set a new career mark with 16 points while also securing his first collegiate double-double behind a career-best 10 rebounds. Trey Bonham (14) was the lone Moc, other than Cusano, to reach double figures during the victory.

RECORDS/SERIES – Chattanooga 3-3 · Johnson 5-1 · Second Meeting · UTC now leads the series 2-0.
 
GAME FLOW/INSIDE THE BOX
1H 16:14 – Bash Wieland connected on his first three of the early stages to give UTC an 8-7 lead.
1H 12:20 – After Johnson held a one-possession lead, Sean Cusano knocked down the team's fourth long ball of the half to tie things at 16-16.
1H 8:38 – Johnson continued to have its way on the offensive end, tying the game at 19-19 on a Caden Windle triple.
1H 4:49 – A pair of Tyler Moore (JHN) free throws kept the Royals at an advantage, 28-25, during what was a 9-2 run.
1H 2:24 – Makai Richards hit a couple freebies after an *almost* poster of a dunk to cap off a 6-0 scoring run, putting UTC back ahead 31-28.

HALF – Chattanooga 32, Johnson (TN) 30: Chattanooga notched its first halftime lead of the season; all 10 Mocs who saw floor time scored in the half; 11 lead changes and three ties between the two teams.
 
2H 17:39 – Garrison Keeslar and Richards converted consecutive contested layups to give UTC nine of the half's first 13 points, allowing for a 41-34 lead.
2H 15:40 – Cusano finished the lay-in after an Honor Huff dish through the paint, keeping the hosts ahead by seven, 43-36.
2H 13:02 – Cusano kept his scoring going with a successful and-one, allowing the lead to grow to ten, 46-36, as the Mocs continued to hold Johnson scoreless over a five-plus minute stretch.
2H 10:42 – Johnson's Mason Lockhart snapped the team's scoring drought shy of eight minutes in total to keep the Royals hanging around, 50-38.
2H 6:20 – The Royals converted on three of its next four attempts from the field, cutting its deficit to an even ten, 55-45.
2H 5:28 – Trey Bonham finished an and-one opportunity to put the Mocs on a quick 6-0 run, upping the lead to 61-45.

FINAL – Chattanooga 72, Johnson (TN) 52
 
KEY NOTES | MORE
- UTC featured 40 points from its reserves… 79 bench points over the last two games… earned a 19-7 edge in points off turnovers… 36-24 in paint points… 17-6 in second-chance points… 12-2 off the fast break.
 
- Chattanooga is now 116-1 (.992) against non-DI opponents in its DI era (1977-78)… lone loss was to Southern Poly (L, 69-73) on December 16, 1999.
 
- Streak of 5+ 3PT FGs extends to 74-straight games… began at 2022-23 season opener… every game under Dan Earl… second-longest active streak (Oral Roberts, 130)… 17th longest streak all-time in DI.

POSTGAME QUOTES | MORE
HC Dan Earl's thoughts after 72-52 win vs. Johnson.
"It was a disappointing game obviously, especially in the first half. I don't think we attacked things the right way and I thought we let missing shots affect us a little too much. You have to give credit to Johnson too, they came in not scared and let their confidence build moving forward. I thought they really controlled the pace too. I thought we played much better in the second half, led by Sean Cusano's effort. A couple guys played to their potential, but a lot didn't. We have to learn and get better from this."
 
F Sean Cusano on missing last season & how it was beneficial this year.
"Honestly, I thought the game was a little too fast for me at that time when I first came in. So, I was able to watch everyone and being able to watch what they're doing, it helped the game slow down for me and really helped me."

UP NEXT – Chattanooga vs. Tennessee State – Monday, Nov. 25 – 7 p.m. ET – ESPN+ – McKenzie Arena (Coke Classic)
 
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