Mocs men drop road game against Tennessee Tech

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (UTC Athletics) — COOKEVILLE, Tenn.—Makinde London’s 21 points led four in double figures in the Chattanooga Mocs 82-76 loss at Tennessee Tech Sunday afternoon. The loss dropped the Mocs to 5-6, while the Golden Eagles improved to 8-4.

Nat Dixon added 19 points for UTC as James Lewis, Jr., tallied his first career double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Makale Foreman chipped in 14. Aleksa Jugovic led TTU with 21 tying London for game-high honors.

Two dunks from Lewis, Jr., sandwiched a layup from Foreman as the 50-second 6-0 outburst tied the score at 63-all with 4:03 to go. The veteran Eagles took over from there.

Curtis Phillips’ corner trey ignited a 10-2 spurt as the hosts took their largest lead to that point of eight. It was capped by Micaiah Henry’s three-point play at 1:24, for a 73-65 advantage. The Mocs got threes from Foreman and London down the stretch, but TTU did not wilt.

Tech made five of six free throws over the final 30 seconds of the game despite the visitors shooting for a run. London’s 3pt with a second to go ended the scoring and the 82-76 final.

“I just don’t think we played very well,” coach Lamont Paris noted post-game. “Rebounding and turning the ball over…taking care of the ball is something we want to do very well. If you catch the ball cleanly, then you have a chance to make a play.

“We didn’t play well.”

It was a see-saw affair throughout the first half with eight ties and 11 lead changes over the initial 20 minutes. Foreman’s 3pt with 2:10 until intermission made it a two-point lead, 20-28. Alexander answered with a three-point play at the other end to swing it back Tech’s way.

Dixon followed with 48 ticks left with a free throw to knot it 31-all. TTU scored the final five with the last coming on a Shaq Calhoun buzzer-beating dunk for the 36-31 halftime advantage.

ON THE RECORD
Chattanooga is 5-6, Tennessee Tech is 8-4.

THE SERIES
Overall: 17-42
In Cookeville: 5-28
Last 15: 8-7

3 NOTES TO KNOW
View complete notes package from tonight at the notes link above. Three to know…
– The nation’s third-oldest team (Tennessee Tech) played its second youngest.
– Lewis, Jr., is the first Mocs freshman to post a double-double since Chris Early with 11 and 10 against Tennessee Wesleyan on Dec. 29, 2008…first time against a DI opponent since Alphonso Pugh’s 16 and 10 on Jan. 12, 2004 vs. Appalachian State.
– 13 ties and 17 lead changes are both season highs.

QUOTABLE
Access thoughts on tonight’s game at the quotes link above.

“Of course that is a good self-accomplishment, but I’d much rather we got the win. We need to get back in the gym and correct our mishaps and come out and play better in our next game.” – Lewis, Jr., on first career double-double.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Check out the full box score at the link above. Here are three notable numbers.
– Both teams averaged 1.0 points per turnover forced with TTU owning a 19-15 advantage in second chance points…12 of those points came off live-ball TOs in transition.
– 23 FT made and 30 attempted are new season highs for the Mocs.
– Lewis, Jr., had five of the squad’s 10 offensive boards raising his average to 2.6 per contest.

COMING UP
The Mocs remain away from the Scenic City next time out travelling to Jacksonville State. The 1 p.m. (ET), tipoff is Thursday, Dec. 21 at the Matthews Center.