On Jan. 10, 2015, Casey Jones dribbled 25 feet or so from the basket at Freedom Hall in Johnson City and looked for someone to pass to. Left with no other options, he hoisted a 3 that hit nothing but net and was the difference in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's 74-71 overtime win against rival East Tennessee State University.
Six years later and under slightly different circumstances, A.J. Caldwell dealt a similar - yet equally crushing - blow to the Buccaneers.
Caldwell's contested 3-pointer that fell with just a second remaining was the difference in the Mocs' 67-65 win Saturday at Freedom Hall. It was the only points scored in the game by the redshirt junior - a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship last May - in 34 minutes off the bench, though he did have five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
The Mocs improved to 14-5 overall and 5-5 in the Southern Conference this season, and UTC coach Lamont Paris and fifth-year senior David Jean-Baptiste celebrated a win against the Bucs (11-7, 7-3) for the first time. They had been 0-10 against ETSU entering Saturday's game.
Jean-Baptiste fouled out in the final minute, but not before scoring 18 points to match Malachi Smith for team honors. Smith had seven rebounds and two assists, including the handoff he made in the closing seconds to give the 6-foot-5 Caldwell enough time for one dribble and a shot, which banged through the net.
Staff file photo by Robin Rudd / UTC coach Lamont Paris and fifth-year senior David Jean-Baptiste ended an 0-10 run against East Tennessee State with Saturday's road win against the Buccaneers.Darius Banks scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half. Fellow starter A.J. Hankton scored only six points, but in his 26 minutes on the court the Mocs outscored ETSU 45-34, which was a team best. Jean-Baptiste had three of UTC's seven steals and made half of the team's eight 3-pointers.
ETSU's Damari Monsanto had 22 points and seven rebounds, and David Sloan added 14 with eight assists as the duo combined to shoot 8-for-14 from 3-point range and 6-for-9 on free throws.
After dominating the Bucs for a half in almost every way, the Mocs found themselves in a shooting contest against a team that doesn't typically hit as well from 3-point range as it did Saturday. ETSU entered the game making close to 34% from outside the arc, but the Bucs were 12-for-23 - which tied a season best - and clawed their way back from as many as 16 down to take a 65-64 lead on their final made 3, by Ty Brewer with 11 seconds to play.
UTC's final play wasn't necessarily drawn up for Caldwell - Smith and Hankton were the primary options - but no Moc is disappointed in the final result, which was the team's first conference win on a Saturday in five tries this season. The Mocs also won back-to-back games for the first time since December, when they finished nonconference play 9-0.
Said Paris of what was important for the final seconds: "Just the ability to reset the moment and play for what it is. No long faces - it's not going to help you make the next play because your face is long. Having those older guys down the stretch, not flinching in that moment happens."
The Mocs finish a three-game road swing with Wednesday's 7 p.m. matchup at Wofford (12-6, 9-3).
Staff file photo by Robin Rudd / UTC's Darius Banks, right, had 14 points and six rebounds and played pivotal defense during the Mocs' win Saturday at East Tennessee State.Mocs star
Be it his effort or his experience, Banks was so key for the Mocs. The 14 points, the six rebounds, the defensive presence - it was all crucial for UTC. Plus his presence on the court after an 11-point first half in which he battled some foul trouble really forced the Bucs to pay additional attention to him, which created opportunities for Jean-Baptiste and Smith.
Key stats
The Mocs turned the ball over just five times against the Bucs, which meant more opportunities for shots. Entering Saturday, ETSU had forced fewer than 10 turnovers just twice this season and had won both games - against UNC Greensboro on Jan. 2 and Virginia Military Institute on Jan. 18.
Turning point
It was Caldwell's winner, but it also helped that the Mocs jumped out to a double-digit advantage at the beginning of the game.
Quotable
"We're a really tight-knit group, and just being on the floor, there's all the confidence I need to be able to catch and shoot and kind of do the thing I do best." - Caldwell, who was 0-for-4 with three misses from 3-point range before his final shot
"It's just special to get a win for these guys, especially one of our seniors." - Banks on Jean-Baptiste getting his first win against the Bucs
Final thought
In hindsight, last week's stoppage because of COVID-19 protocol may have been one of the best things that could have happened to the UTC men's basketball team this season. The Mocs had struggled on Saturdays, in part because of the wear and tear on their bodies from the previous game, but for the second straight game they looked refreshed. This win puts them in the top half of the SoCon standings with eight games remaining in the regular season, giving them a chance to really work their way toward the top.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.