The Chattanooga Mocs are struggling on the basketball court these days.
They lost their third straight game on Saturday, including the second straight at McKenzie Arena, as the East Tenneesee State Buccaneers made themselves feel right at home as they headed back to Johnson City with Saturday’s come-from-behind 78-62 victory.
It was Chattanooga’s worst defeat of the season in front of the biggest crowd to attend a game in the Dan Earl-era as 3,751 fans chose to spend their Saturday afternoon watching a really disappointing performance.
With the win, ETSU improves to 8-13 overall an 4-4 in the Southern Conference. The Bucs entered Saturday play having lost two straight, but got back on track with a brilliant second-half performance.
Interestingly, the Bucs are winless at home in league play and are undefeated on the road.
The Mocs are now 11-10 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
It’s one thing to lose to a storied rival, but it’s even worse that the Mocs did so with their best player on the bench in street clothes.
Big Jake Stephens, the graduate transfer from VMI who has carried the Mocs thus far, suffered a thumb injury in the game on Wednesday. His diagnosis is still ongoing, but he will be out for an indefinite period of time.
Meanwhile, the Mocs really didn’t have anyone who stepped up to take his place.
UTC coach Dan Earl, who came to Chattanooga with Stephens from VMI, wasn’t a very happy fellow following the game.
“Obviously, this was a tale of two halves,” he began.
“I thought we played well in the first half, but missed a bunch of shots in the second half and allowed our offense to affect our defense.
“My heart hurts for Jake as he’s a great young man in addition to being the heart of our basketball team. It’s hard for all of us, but we just have to stick together.
“Everything sort of unraveled in the second half. We pushed the ball in the first half. We didn’t get the stops we needed in the second half. Good teams don’t allow their offense to affect their defense, but we aren’t there yet.
“I have no idea how long Jake will be out, but we’ll just move forward and do the best we can,” the dejected coach concluded.
There were four lead changes and three ties in the opening 20 minutes before the Mocs finished the half on a 10-3 run for a 42-33 lead at the break.
The second half was a totally different story.
After being outscored by nine in the first 20 minutes, the Bucs had a field day in the second half as they enjoyed a 45-20 edge in scoring.
The Bucs, who shot 39.4 percent from the field in the first half, turned things around and shot 79.2 percent in the second half as they connected on 19 of 24 shots, including half if their six shots from long range.
The Mocs had shot 50 percent in the first half when they hit 17 of 34 shots from the field, went totally cold in the second half.
Making only eight of 35 shots for a cool 22.9 percent, the Mocs got a 3 from Jamal Johnson to start the second half for their biggest lead of the game at 45-33.
Going almost five minutes without scoring a point, the Bucs scored 10 unanswered points during that time to get within 45-43 before Demetrius Davis scored on a reverse layup with just under 15 minutes remaining.
A layup by Jalen Haynes with 11:36 to play put ETSU ahead for the first time since midway through the first half at 53-52 on a layup. That came in the middle of an 11-0 run that turned a 52-49 Chattanooga lead into a 60-52 ETSU advantage.
A 3 from Randy Brady with 5:47 to play got the Mocs within two at 64-62, but they didn’t score again as the Bucs finished the game on a 14-0 run to win going away.
Jordan King, ETSU’s leading scorer who was averaging 13.7 points per game coming in, had 14 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 29.
Haynes, averaging 12.3, followed with 23 points after only scoring six in the first half.
Jamarius Hairston was also in double figures for the Bucs with 10.
Dalvin White led the Mocs with 14 points, all coming in the first half when he hit six of eight shots from the field. Davis was next with nine.
With Haynes grabbing 13 rebounds, the Bucs won the battle of the boards by a 37-36 margin. King and Hairston grabbed seven apiece while Brady was tops for UTC with seven.
The Mocs will be at home again on Wednesday when they face Wofford. ETSU plays at Mercer on that same day.
EAST TENNESSEE STATE (78) – Haynes 23, Seymour 4, King 29, Strothers 2, Smith 8, Hairston 10, Ilic 2, Jancek.
CHATTANOOGA (62) – Hankton 7, Davis 9, Caldwell 5, Johnson 6, White 14, Walker 4, Alexis 2, Courseault 7, Robinson, Ledford, Brady 8.
FIELD GOALS: ETSU 32 of 57 for 56.1 percent; Chattanooga 25 of 69 for 36.2 percent.
3-POINT GOALS: ETSU 7 of 21 for 33.3 percent (Seymour 0-1, King 4-8, Strothers 0-2, Smith 0-3, Hairston 3-7); Chattanooga 9 of 38 for 23.7 percent (Hankton 1-5, Davis 1-5, Caldwell 1-4, Johnson 2-6, White 2-7, Alexis 0-1, Courseault 0-2, Robinson 0-3, Brady 2-3, Ledford 0-2).
FREE THROWS: ETSU 7 of 13 for 53.8 percent; Chattanooga 3 of 4 for 75.0 percent.
REBOUNDING: ETSU 37 (Haynes 13, King 7, Hairston 7); Chattanooga 36 (Brady 7, Davis 6, Hankton 4, Alexis 4).
ASSISTS: ETSU 14 (King 5, Haynes 3); Chattanooga 11 (Caldwell 3, Davis 2, Ledford 2).
TURNOVERS: ETSU 14 (King 3, Strothers 3); Chattanooga 11 (Davis 4, seven others with one each).
STEALS: ETSU 6 (Smith 3, Strothers 2); Chattanooga 7 (Hankton 3).
BLOCKS: ETSU 1 (Seymour); Chattanooga 3 (Alexis 2, Davis).
HALFTIME SCORE: Chattanooga 42-33.
ATTENDANCE: 3,751.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)