---Rodney Chatman scored a career-high 26 points but it wasn’t enough in an 81-61 loss at Southern Conference leader ETSU Saturday afternoon in Freedom Hall. It was Chatman’s fourth 20-point effort of 2017-18.
Desonta Bradford paced the Bucs with 22 of his own with six rebounds. Peter Jurkin added 16 points and 13 rebounds. Joshua Phillips led the visitors with 12 boards tying his career best on the glass.
Chatman’s jumper with 35 seconds left in the first half cut the Bucs early lead to eight, 32-24.
A defensive stop coupled with a basket could send the Mocs into the half with momentum.
The stop looked promising as the shot clock wound down inside 10 seconds. Bradford drove the lane and kicked the ball out of the crowded space to Devontavious Payne. The left hit the triple from the corner for a 35-24 halftime advantage.
“If we get the stop there, then maybe you get it to five or six at the other end, take something positive into halftime,” Coach Lamont Paris shared. “We weren’t able to get that stop and down 11 at the break against this team, in that environment, is tough to overcome.”
Chattanooga would get no closer. It matched buckets to start the second frame, but not for long. David Jean-Baptiste’s layup at 18:15 made it a 41-30 contest. ETSU scored 12 of the next 16 points to extend the margin to 19, 53-34, with 13:43 to go on a Bo Hodges layup.
First it was a Nat Dixon jumper then a Jean-Baptiste layup. Chatman’s two free throws at 10:07 got it to with 15 again, 57-42. Less than two minutes later, Jalen McCloud gave his squad their largest lead of 21, 65-44.
"These guys are young and they'll respond,” Paris added. “We just have to get back to work and finish the season strong. Finish it better than when we started. Some of the things we did today, if we did that in other games, we would have won those games. That's something you have reproduce every single night. As you get older and better, then you can overcome some of things you don't do well.
Chattanooga returns to McKenzie Arena next weekend hosting The Citadel and Mercer. The Bulldogs are up first with a 7 p.m., Thursday night meeting.