CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Matt McCall wasn't worried about his team's slow start Saturday at Western Carolina.
Why? His players had been through the wars before.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team used eight players in its 64-48 win over the Catamounts to begin Southern Conference play, but the lineup on the floor most often was the obvious choice - the one with five experienced senior starters.
Jonathan Burroughs-Cook, Casey Jones, Tre' McLean, Greg Pryor and Justin Tuoyo played the vast majority of the game, with none totaling fewer than 25 minutes. They combined for 61 points, 21 of the team's 31 rebounds and eight of its 13 assists.
They also helped beyond the stat sheet by not panicking after falling behind 14-5 to the Catamounts early. The start was eerily similar to the Mocs' game in Cullowhee last season, when UTC trailed by 19 points before losing 67-61.
Saturday's start was answered with a 14-2 run that started on the defensive end. The Catamounts (5-9, 0-1) were held without a field goal for 4:51 in the first half and made just two field goals from the 9:48 mark until 2:42 remained in the first half. By that time, the Mocs (10-3) had taken control of the game for good.
"The game was ugly," McCall said. "That's how they (the Catamounts) want to play. There wasn't a lot going right in the first half, and being in this building last year, the start of the game was very similar. But those guys did not flinch for a second. They kept talking in timeouts about getting stops, and I didn't have to do a lot of talking in timeouts because I have five seniors that have been through it.
"They knew it was going to be an ugly game and they kept playing. They didn't get frustrated when they didn't get foul calls, and I think senior leadership helps with that."
After the game, the seniors and McCall gave proper credit to freshman Rodney Chatman and sophomores Nat Dixon and Makinde London. Each played 15 minutes, and Dixon led the team in assists with three.
But that trio was undoubtedly helped by having the example set by multiple seniors who have built a foundation for the program.
"We've got confidence in everybody wearing a Chattanooga uniform," Pryor said. "We've got a lot of confidence in everybody on this team, a lot of faith in everybody on the team, so whenever somebody is in, whether starting or not starting, we look forward to playing our game and that's Chattanooga basketball."
The win also gave all five members of the senior class victories in every SoCon venue. Pryor and Jones were part of the 2013-14 team that had the previous win in Cullowhee, but McLean and Pryor had lost their two prior trips to Western Carolina, and Burroughs-Cook was 0-1 there entering Saturday's game.
Tonight another road venue awaits the Mocs, who face UNC Greensboro (10-5, 1-1) at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum at 7. The Spartans spoiled UTC's home finale last year, carving up the Mocs in a 79-64 win by shooting 67 percent from the field.
"Every road game in conference is our last time coming here, so you don't want to lose your last time coming here," said Tuoyo, who leads the nation with 3.85 blocks per game.
"At the end of the day you try to pride yourself on that, and you want to win every time you're out there."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.