Matt Ryan, A.J. Caldwell step up to lead Mocs to overtime win against Troy

Staff photo by Robin Rudd / UTC men's basketball coach Lamont Paris instructs David Jean-Baptiste, left, and A.J. Caldwell during the Mocs' home game against Troy on Dec. 15, 2019, at McKenzie Arena. The Mocs won 84-80 in overtime.
Staff photo by Robin Rudd / UTC men's basketball coach Lamont Paris instructs David Jean-Baptiste, left, and A.J. Caldwell during the Mocs' home game against Troy on Dec. 15, 2019, at McKenzie Arena. The Mocs won 84-80 in overtime.

In a basketball game that felt more like a prize fight at times, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga used a standout performance by Matt Ryan and two key plays by A.J. Caldwell to rally for an 84-80 overtime win over Troy on Sunday at McKenzie Arena.

Ryan led the Mocs (7-5) with 23 points to tie his career high set in his sophomore year when he played at Notre Dame, and the senior transfer's two 3-pointers in the last 2:30 of regulation tied the game at 73 after UTC trailed by five in the closing minutes of the second half. His shot at the end of regulation hit the rim but didn't fall, sending the game into an extra five minutes.

"Right when regulation ended, we came to the huddle and said (Troy) does not want to be in overtime right now, but we do because we knew we were lucky to be in overtime," Ryan said. "We were just kind of riding a momentum wave into overtime, and some guys made some plays in overtime to help us win."

UTC took a quick lead in the extra period on Ryan's basket, but Zay Williams answered with his own to draw the Trojans (4-7) even at 75 with 3:57 remaining. Ramon Vila's basket gave the Mocs a tenuous 77-75 lead, but the game remained up for grabs until Caldwell took it into his hands.

The redshirt sophomore made a nifty pass to Vila in the paint for a dunk and a four-point lead. After Williams scored to pull the Trojans back to within two, Caldwell drilled a 3-pointer from the right side with 25 seconds remaining to extend UTC's edge to 82-77. Two free throws by Jonathan Scott iced the victory for the Mocs, who completed a sweep of the nonconference series after winning 74-68 at Troy on Nov. 12.

"My feet were ready, and I was ready to shoot it with confidence and did," Caldwell said of his crucial 3 - his only points of the game. "This time last year, I don't think I would have made that shot. My development and everybody's confidence in me has been really good for me."

UTC coach Lamont Paris said he has a high level of trust for Caldwell and his ability to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

"The ability to make good decisions in the ball screen is what really sets people apart in their ability to perform," Paris said. "He's shown he can make good decisions, and he normally does make good decisions."

UTC had four players score in double figures, led by Ryan. David Jean-Baptiste added 15 points, Vila 12 and Scott 11. All 10 Mocs who played also scored in a game in which the home team trailed by as many as seven points.

Paris credited his players for their tenacity in finding a way to stay in the game and get a victory.

"They wanted to win badly, and they didn't view themselves as victims down the stretch," he said. "They recognized their responsibility in this effort to win and how they could impact that, and they did what they needed to do to get the win.

"I was happy for them and proud of them for that."

Troy also had four players in double figures, led by Desmond Williams with 20 points. Darian Adams scored 19, Zay Williams had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Ty Gorded had 11 points in the loss, which snapped a three-game winning streak for the Trojans.

With the fall semester over, the Mocs can focus on basketball and the holidays for the next several days. UTC will be back in action Saturday at UNC-Asheville before a home game against Cumberland on Dec. 29 wraps up the nonconference portion of the season.

The Mocs, who are 0-1 in the Southern Conference with an 87-77 loss at Western Carolina on Dec. 3, return to league play Jan. 4 at Mercer.

"We have a feeling that we're a very good team," Ryan said. "Our record isn't the greatest, but we've played three ranked teams and should have won (last week at Virginia Tech).

"I think this break will be good for us with no academics - just straight basketball and getting better every day in practice. I think we're on the right path right now with where we're going."

Contact Jim Tanner at JFTanner@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JFTanner.

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