Chattanooga tops Charlotte 80-69 in coach Ron Sanchez’s debut with 49ers

There are going to be nights like Tuesday for coach Ron Sanchez’s Charlotte 49ers reclamation project.

The 49ers dropped their season opener to sharp-shooting Chattanooga 80-69 before a crowd of 3,732 at Halton Arena, spoiling Sanchez’s debut at Charlotte.

Playing a team with even less experience than them, the 49ers – who started three freshmen – fell behind early and couldn’t get within seven points of the Mocs in the second half. Chattanooga made 11-of-21 3-pointers, a 52.4 percentage that was better than the Mocs’ overall shooting percentage of 47.3.

For a defense-first coach like Sanchez, it was a rocky start.

“We gave up 80 points; that can’t happen,” said Sanchez, who came to Charlotte from Virginia, where he was coach Tony Bennett’s top assistant. “But win or lose, we grow. It’s a long journey. The question is what did we learn and how do we improve as a group. But giving up 80 points is not adequate.”

Senior guard Jon Davis led Charlotte with 31 points, hitting 11 of 25 shots from the floor and going 2 of 7 from 3-point range.

The Mocs were effective from the 3-point line – a spot where Sanchez wants his team to defend aggressively. Chattanooga got 18 points from Jerry Johnson, 17 from Donovann Toatley and 14 from Thomas Smallwood, a 7-foot center who was 4-of-5 from 3-point range.

Sanchez said he “disconnected” for a while Tuesday afternoon, preparing for his first game as a head coach by listening to music in his office and reading a spiritual book called “Life Without Lack.” He then worked out for 30 minutes.

“Just to enjoy it,” Sanchez said of the day. “I looked at my journey, where I’ve come from and where I am.”

Three who mattered

Davis, Charlotte: The 49ers’ senior guard is going to have to carry the load all season. His 31 points and four assists weren’t enough Tuesday.

Jerry Johnson Jr., Chattanooga: Led the Mocs with 18 points, including 4 of 7 from long range.

Malik Martin, Charlotte: Freshman guard was active and helped keep the 49ers in it late in the game, scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Worth mentioning

▪ The 49ers are young; the Mocs are younger. Chattanooga has just one returning letter winner, guard David Jean-Baptiste, from last season’s team. The Mocs are one of 16 teams in the country with one or fewer seniors or grad transfers on the roster.

▪ The 49ers play again Saturday at Halton against Oklahoma State. The Mocs’ next game is Saturday at home against Eastern Kentucky.

▪ The 49ers also got a lift in the second half from freshman guard Cooper Robb, who finished with two blocks and a steal.

They said it

“One thing about these guys: their effort. I can’t say anything negative about that.” – Sanchez.

“I told the team in the locker room: We lost and it is what it is. We don’t have time to hang our heads with Oklahoma State coming in Saturday.” – Davis.

“This is a journey. It doesn’t happen right away. There’s no magic dust. We dig in, grow. It’s not pretty, not sexy. There’s no pie in the sky. It’s simple hard work. But we have to take it to a different level.” – Sanchez.

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 9:24 PM.