Long Range Shooting Not Enough for Eagles at Chattanooga
1/31/2009 5:02:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? Georgia Southern shot a season-high from 3-point range and had five players in double-figures, but a four and a half minute scoring drought in the second half proved to be the difference as the Eagles dropped a 100-87 Southern Conference game at Chattanooga Saturday (Jan. 31).
Hitting a season-high 15 3-pointers (in 28 attempts) for a 53.6 percentage helped Georgia Southern (7-12 overall, 5-6 SoCon) early but UTC staged a 12-0 run during that decisive stretch to take the lead for good.
Georgia Southern took a 66-63 lead when Antoine Johnson (Atlanta/Westlake) hit a 3-pointer. UTC responded with its run, during which the Eagles were forced to take their final timeout.
Anthony Marshall (Lake Worth, FL/Lake Worth) ended the run draining a 3-pointer to make it 75-69 with 8:17 remaining. However, the Mocs responded with another ?3' from Kevin Goffney and never looked back.
“I thought they (UTC) took advantage of their physical play up front, 15 offensive rebounds are too much (to give up). We shot the ball well, we penetrated well and got some good defensive stops. But to their credit they got to the free throw line 40 times. They have gone to the line nearly 100 more times than anyone else in league play because they are good off the dribble and strong inside,” said head coach Jeff Price.
Chattanooga (9-12, 6-5) made 25 of its 40 free throw attempts while the Eagles finished 10-of-14. UTC, the SoCon leader in rebounds, also held a 40-34 edge on the boards.
After going 0-for-15 from 3-point range two days earlier at Samford, Ben Drayton III (St. Marys/Camden County) broke that streak hitting a trey from the right corner for the Eagles' first points of the game. Tyler Troupe (Gallatin, TN/Iowa Western CC) followed with another 3-pointer, scoring 10 of the Eagles' next 13 points. Down 14-6 five minutes in, Troupe and the Eagles went on a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the game.
Antonio Hanson (Fort Worth, TX/Independence CC) hit a pair of ?3s'. GS would eventually take a 27-22 lead but the Mocs went on another run and took a one point lead with four minutes remaining.
Hanson got hot from long range again, hitting three consecutive ?3s' and the Eagles would take a 47-46 lead into the locker room. The nine 3-pointers in the first half (five by Hanson) were the most in the opening 20 minutes all year, and the 47 points surpassed the 46 scored two days earlier at Samford.
In the first half, GS shot 51.5 percent overall and 60 percent from long range. UTC shot 39.5 percent, and hit 6-of-16 from long distance. The Mocs made six more free throws and grabbed seven more offensive rebounds.
Overall Hanson recorded his fourth 20-point game this season, a season-high 26 points thanks to 7-of-11 shooting from long range.
Johnson also turned in a career-best performance, 17 points and eight assists and matched his high of five rebounds.
Troupe scored 10 of his 13 points and Drayton had eight of his 11 points in the first half. Julian Allen (Waterbury, CT/Garden City CC) chipped in 11 points and team-high eight rebounds off the bench.
Georgia Southern shot 49.2 percent from the field but Chattanooga made 63 percent in the second half and matched the Eagles' 49.2 for the game.
Stephen McDowell scored a game-high 27 points. Goffney finished with 21 and game-high 11 rebounds as five Mocs in all scored in double-figures.
Georgia Southern begins a three-game homestand over six days starting Monday night (Feb. 2). The Eagles play host to Appalachian State, tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
GAME NOTES: In the last four meetings with Chattanooga, Georgia Southern has made 43 3-point field goals... Troupe scored in double-figures for the first time in six games... Hanson's previous high was 25 points at the College of Charleston... Drayton has now scored in double-figures nine times this season... Marshall earned his first start of the year... During the game, head coach Jeff Price and his coaching staff took part with the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness weekend. Along with their normal gameday attire, the coaching staff wore sneakers. The event is a collaborative initiative of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society in support of the ACS mission to save lives from cancer. To learn more about the initiative visit cancer.org/coaches or call 800-ACS-2345.
