From left, Joshua Phillips, Makinde London, Nat Dixon, Rodney Chatman, and Makale Foreman gather after the win for the alma mater. The Charlotte 49ers visited the University of Chattanooga at Tennessee Mocs in basketball action at McKenzie Arena on Dec. 10, 2017.JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Makale Foreman couldn't believe it.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga guard, who already had five 3-point baskets Thursday afternoon against Jacksonville State University, didn't expect to get another open opportunity, especially with the game on the line.
But he did, and given that chance he made the Gamecocks pay one final time.
Foreman's 3-pointer from the left corner with 29 seconds to play hit nothing but net, and the Mocs earned their first road victory of the season in upset fashion by defeating JSU 70-67 at the Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Gamecocks (9-4) were the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference tournament champions and already hold a 32-point victory over UTC's Southern Conference opponent Samford, as well as an overtime win over the Mocs on Nov. 21 in Chattanooga.
The Mocs (6-6) complete their nonconference slate Saturday at 1 p.m. at home against Georgia State.
The Mocs had 12 assists on 17 made baskets in the second half, none bigger than their final one. With the shot clock winding down, Rodney Chatman penetrated a gap and, when Foreman's defender helped, dished out to the 6-foot-2 sophomore, whose 3 gave the Mocs the lead. Chatman had 10 assists in the half and 14 for the game.
"I thought they'd cover me a little bit more since I was hitting pretty much all game," said Foreman, who had 18 points on six 3s. "Once he helped off, I knew it was going up and it went in. It was a good shot - Coach (Lamont Paris) preaches on that - a good pass, a good basketball play."
And a big one. The Gamecocks' Norbertas Giga missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the score, and the home team, having to foul, ultimately sent Chatman to the line. He missed the free throw, but Ashton Spears' final attempt fell short.
"For me they're all the same," Paris said. "It's hard to win on the road, so I think this was most important for the guys and their psyche in reality. We've got to play the game no matter where.
"For their psyche, having done it against a good team that had their full complement of players, it was a good win for the guys."
Nat Dixon had 16 of his 19 points in the second half to lead the Mocs in scoring. James Lewis added 15 points and nine rebounds, while Chatman added 10 points to his assist total.
Makinde London struggled with only eight points on 3-for-13 shooting (1-for-8 from 3-point range) but had 11 rebounds and a pair of steals.
The Gamecocks tried to blow the game open from the opening tip. They used a 12-3 run midway through the first 20 minutes to build a 12-point lead and led 32-25 at halftime, with 24 points in the paint.
"In the first half we didn't play Chattanooga basketball," Dixon said. "Coach challenged us in the second half to either play the way we play and not worry about the scoreboard and play hard, or we just lay down here.
"I'm proud of the guys for stepping up."
UTC shot 28 percent in the first half but stayed in the game with five 3-pointers, including three by Foreman. In the second half, the execution was the difference: The Mocs shot 52 percent from the field and made seven 3s, while JSU players not named Malcolm Drumwright shot 8-for-20 from the field.
Drumwright - who scored all but two of his 27 points in the teams' first meeting after halftime - played only six minutes in the first half Thursday due to foul trouble but played all 20 minutes in the second half and scored all 17 of his points.
"In the second half we guarded their stuff," Paris said. "I thought they made some plays to score at times. They hit some shots, but they were uncharacteristically hard shots to make and they made them. When we see those shots go in, it doesn't deter us from what we're going to do defensively."
The second half included five ties and 11 lead changes.
Christian Cunningham had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Gamecocks, while Marlon Hunter scored 13 points.
Extra looks
Chatman's 14 assists were the most for a UTC player since Keegan Bell had 16 against Longwood on Dec. 29, 2011. ... All 70 of the Mocs' points came from their starters, as reserves played only 16 minutes. ... The Mocs' nine turnovers were their fewest this season against a Division I opponent. ... When asked about the status of senior Joshua Phillips, who has missed the last two games for a violation of team rules, Paris said there was no update. "We'll get back and re-evaluate those things, but I haven't even spoken with Josh," the coach said.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.