UTC men win opener at Charlotte, 80-69

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball team got its season off to a solid start Tuesday, defeating Charlotte 80-69 on the road.

The Mocs will be home to face Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. Saturday at McKenzie Arena.

“We’re 1-0. That’s better than 0-1,” coach Lamont Paris told GoMocs.com. “When you get that win on the road and it’s a long trip back, it’s nice to be able to look back at some of the things you did.

“There’s plenty of learning opportunities in this game for sure, but it’s great to get off to a good start. It’s one game and we take it one game at a time as always, but we’ve got start prepping and getting ready (for the next game).”

After not shooting the ball well in a 62-60 exhibition victory over Division II team Lee University last Thursday, the Mocs were much better against the 49ers. They shot 47 percent from the field and made 11 of 21 3-point attempts, and they knocked down 17 of 20 free throws, including some key ones down the stretch.

Jerry Johnson led four UTC scorers in double figures with 18 points, sparked by a 16-point first half. He added three assists and a pair of steals. Freshman point guard Donovann Toatley had 17 points and was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line while passing for a teamhigh four assists. Thomas Smallwood had 14 points and was 4-for-5 from 3-point range, chipping in six rebounds before fouling out, while freshman Kevin Easley had 13 points and seven rebounds.

“I think this win will be really big for our team’s confidence,” Smallwood, the team’s lone senior, told GoMocs.com. “For the first real game coming as a road win, it’s the best scenario we could hope for. I’m hoping it will give us good momentum moving forward, and I hope we’ll be able to learn from the things we didn’t do so well.”

The Mocs built a double-digit lead in the second half and were able to hold off every Charlotte charge with big baskets. Smallwood answered a Jaylen McGill jumper that cut the lead to 67-59 with a 3-pointer with 4:37 to play. The 49ers cut the margin to 70-63 on a Jon Davis jumper, but Johnson responded with a basket and the foul.

Toatley and Easley combined to go 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the final 1:02 to secure the win.

“That’s the type of experience you couldn’t pay for,” Paris said. “To be in those situations and learn from them. There are so many things we can show the guys, but we can do it in a manner where you can feel good on what you did on the court, which will make them more open to listen to what they didn’t do well.”

Davis led the 49ers with 31 points. Malik Martin added 12, but the Mocs held the 49ers to 4-for-16 from 3-point range.