Entering the 2020-21 season University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior guard David Jean-Baptiste was 0-10 against East Tennessee State – including his redshirt season – and had lost all eight on-court battles against the Bucs.
Some games, close. Others, more lopsided, but each game went in ETSU’s favor.
That changed this season, as the Mocs secured a regular-season sweep of the Bucs Monday with a 53-51 win at McKenzie Arena. But oh, how close that was to not being the case.
In the closing seconds, Ledarrius Brewer missed the second of two free throws, but the ball was rebounded by former Hamilton Heights standout Silas Adheke, who whipped a pass to the corner to Damari Monsanto, who nailed a fadeaway 3-pointer that sent the ETSU bench into a frenzy.
Only one problem: an ETSU assistant coach had called timeout prior to Monsanto’s shot, which gave the Mocs time to set up a defense.