Gardner-Webb Scores 76-74 Overtime Win At Chattanooga Sunday
November 27, 2011 | Men's Basketball
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Tashan Newsome's follow shot with 2.4 seconds left in overtime lifted Gardner-Webb to a 76-74 win over Chattanooga in the final game of the 2011 Hoosier Classic Chattanooga Bracket.
The wild affair featured 15 ties and 16 lead changes. Center Mike Byron netted a career-high 18 points and 13 rebounds and Max Landis scored 17 points - including seven in overtime - to pace the Runnin' Bulldogs (3-5). Landis was named Most Outstanding Player of the Chattanooga Bracket and Byron earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.
Landis gave Gardner-Webb a 68-66 lead early in the overtime with a steal and layup, and - after Omar Wattad gave UTC a 72-70 lead - Landis knocked in a three-pointer with 1:35 remaining to put the 'Dogs up 73-72. A pair of Ricky Taylor free throws gave UTC a 74-73 lead with 1:14 left, but Newsome responded by hitting one of two at the stripe with 1:07 left to tie the game.
Chattanooga's Keegan Bell missed a floater with 38 seconds remaining on the Mocs' next possession, and Byron corralled the miss to give Gardner-Webb a final chance to win. Landis fired from three with just eight seconds left and missed long - but Newsome grabbed the loose ball rebound and put it in with 2.4 seconds left to give GWU a 76-74 lead. Stefon Johnson kept Landis' miss alive with a tipped ball that Newsome secured.
Bell's runner from just over the half court line as the buzzer sounded bounced off the rim.
Bell scored a team-high 17 points, Taylor scored 16 and Drazen Zlovaric added 14 points to lead Chattanooga (2-4).
Neither team had much success shooting the basketball in the early going, with the game remaining scoreless until Donta Harper drained a 15-foot baseline jumper for a 2-0 Gardner-Webb lead with 15:50 to play in the first half. The Runnin' Bulldogs held Chattanooga scoreless until an offensive putback with 14:27 remaining in the half. The Mocs missed their first eight shots.
The tight first half featured eight ties and eight lead changes, but Gardner-Webb went to its bench for 26 of its 35 points in the frame. The 'Dogs got nine points from Byron, seven from Landis and six from Kevin Hartley to pave the way to a 35-32 lead at the break - scoring 16 of its points in the paint.
Gardner-Webb extended its lead to 49-40 by the first media timeout in the second half, and led by as many as 11 points - 54-33 - just before the 12-minute media timeout. As it did Friday night to rally past Savannah State, Chattanooga went on a spurt to take its first lead of the half - going on a 12-0 rally to take a 55-54 lead with 8:32 left on Jared Bryant's putback of a missed free throw.
Chattanooga's run would grow to 14-0 and a 57-54 lead until Laron Buggs broke up the rally with two free throws with 7:04 to play - breaking a scoring drought of nearly five minutes for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Back-to-back baskets inside from Byron gave Gardner-Webb a 60-57 lead with 5:43 to play - but the Mocs wouldn't allow any more separation.
A pair of Taylor free throws tied the game at 64-64 with 2:30 left, and Drazen Zlovaric gave UTC the lead back with a layup with 1:50 to play, 66-64. Gardner-Webb missed a pair of free throws and four consecutive offensive second chances on the same possession with 1:04 left - and Chattanooga grabbed the final loose ball rebound with its lead intact.
A shot clock violation gave Gardner-Webb the ball back with 26.4 seconds remaining, and Max Landis was fouled going to the basket with 16.0 seconds left. The freshman from Indianapolis, Ind., drained both to tie the game, 66-66, setting up one last chance at a win for the home squad. The Runnin' Bulldogs smothered Bell in the lane and his runner was rebounded by Harper with 2.4 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
Gardner-Webb was effective on offensive in the extra period, shooting 4-of-8 from the floor. The 'Dogs shot 37.5 percent for the game, forced 15 turnovers for Chattanooga, and converted those miscues into a 16-8 scoring edge in that category. GWU also outscored the Mocs' 40-30 in the paint and had a 48-12 edge in bench points.
Chattanooga shot 36.9 percent for the game, but was just 9-of-31 in the opening half (29.0 percent) as Gardner-Webb built its lead at the break.
Gardner-Webb will open Big South Conference play on Thursday at 5:30 pm at home against preseason league favorite UNC Asheville. Call (704) 406-4340 for ticket information.
| Box Score (PDF) |
