Take away that 17-0 start, and we're talking about a ball game!
Maryville participated in its annual Division I exhibition game and played Middle Tennessee tough as nails before falling 69-46 here Saturday afternoon. It was an 8-point contest with just over 7 minutes remaining before the Blue Raiders pulled away.
Scots head coach Raul Placeres always has a plan and a level of expectations for these Division I exhibition games. He was very pleased with how his squad competed after some opening jitters.
"As we got adjusted to the speed and physicality of the game, the guys started feeling like they belonged," Placeres said. "It's hard; I get it. It's a mid-major program that is playing well and coming off a 26-win season and we're on the road.
"I wanted to have a better showing than we did here four years ago to see how far we've come as a program, and that certainly happened."
Maryville lost 119-61 here four years ago in the Scots head coaching debut for Placeres. This one was much more competitive.
"We checked all the boxes that I was looking for," Placeres said. "Obviously, we were outmatched in size and physicality, but it was an 8-point game with 7 minutes remaining."
No Panic from Early Hole
Maryville against the bigger, faster and longer Blue Raiders missed its first six shots and trailed 17-0. The initial Scots basket came from a Jaylon Green jumper at the 13:50 mark, leading to five straight by the visitors and a 17-5 deficit.
The Scots proceeded to make five of their next six field goal tries and kept the game manageable. They trailed just 41-25 at halftime.
"After we got settled in, our young guys made some key buckets and we started making plays and believing," Placeres said. "I was pleased to see Chase Morgan and Jaylon Green demonstrate some good potential. We worked on our zone and got better at that."
Maryville came into the game sporting the No. 1 strength of schedule rating in Division III. Saturday's result does not factor in because it is treated as an exhibition by the Division III teams in this arrangement. The contest counts for the Blue Raiders, who improved to 6-3.
Morgan had his best day as a Scot, scoring a team-high 12 points and converting a three-point-play with 10:42 left in the second half that narrowed the score to 48-40 Blue Raiders. Maryville at that point had outscored Middle 15-7 in the second half.
Myles Rasnick showed off with one of his patented turnaround jumpers and it was 52-44 with 7:16 remaining. Still within striking distance.
Middle Pulls Away Late
But the Scots hit the wall over the final 7 minutes. Middle Tennessee outscored Maryville 17-2 during that closing stretch as Placeres got everyone into the game who made the trip.
Still, there's plenty to build on from this one.
"The guys see the big picture," Placeres said. "I'm never going to accept losing; we came here to win the game. But we knew what we were going up against and we made a commitment after the game in this locker room to finish this season the right way."
Charlie Cochran scored 8 points, banging home a pair of 3-pointers, while Rasnick and Jackson Garner scored 7 apiece. Morgan led the team in rebounds with 7. Camryn Weston with 12 was the Middle Tennessee leading scorer.
The Scots are back in action Tuesday against Greensboro. Note the earlier tipoff of 6 p.m.
"The mood in the locker room is fantastic because they know what is going on," Placeres said. "We've played six unbelievable Division III programs and then a mid-major Division I on top of that. But if we want to accomplish the biggest prize in our sport, we had to do it.
"I'm proud of how they are continuing to battle and, hopefully, we can turn the tide on Tuesday."
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