Senators score 51 second half points in team win over Chattanooga State

MORRISTOWN, TN – When Walters State is playing to their potential, it's a beautiful thing to watch on the basketball court.

On Monday night against Chattanooga State, the Senators did just that as they outscored the Tigers 51-32 in the final 20 minutes on their way to a 94-69 win. 

With the win, Walters State moved to 14-1 on the season and 5-1 in TCCAA play. 

"I just think we were able to control the flow of the game," Walters State coach Jerry Nichols said. "We made them play at our pace. I was proud of our defensive effort tonight. The way we contested shots and flew around. For us to win a championship, that's what it's going to take. I thought we did that, and it gave us the win." 

It's been a wild second half of the season for Walters State, having two weeks off over Christmas and then having two games postponed due to weather. 

Because of that, it's been hard for the Senators to get back into the flow they were in before the break. On Monday night, it seemed like the flow was back and Nichols credits that to his teams ability to sacrifice the numbers at times and focus on the team. 

"I think we definitely needed it," Nichols said. "We haven't played this way since the break. The Junior College break is always tough. We needed this from a team standpoint. I challenge our guys to give maximum effort each and every day, but also sacrifice a little bit. That's the hardest thing in this generation is the ability to sacrifice. Sometimes you can get caught up in numbers, but you can't worry about that. You have to worry about playing the right way and when we do that, we are a really tough team." 

Jamar Livingston led the way for Walters State with 22 points. Livingston was averaging 10 points per game in conference play entering Monday but looked like his early season self, knocking down 3-pointers and finishing at the rim for some tough baskets.

"I thought Jamar was fantastic tonight," Nichols said. "He was fantastic because he was aggressive. That's the thing. As a freshman sometimes, you just have to be aggressive. The more he's aggressive, the better he's going to be. The first play, he took it to the rack and that really set the tone." 

Along with Livingston, Micah Simpson had 14 first half points and finished with 18 for the game. Greg Moore was also in double figures with 11 points, while Charvez Ambrose, Ramondo Battle and Jair Horton each finished with nine points. 

Battle and Horton, along with Carter Metz who had four points and played big minutes, were big for the Senators in the game, giving them a spark when they needed it. 

"The reality for Ramondo is that he needs to play the right way," Nichols said. "I thought he played the right way tonight. He made some really nice passes in 38-action and things like that. When we're playing the right way, we're a tough team to beat.

"We have two young men in Jair and Carter that without them, it's not possible to do what we do. They are the two most selfless guys I've ever met. They're going to be rewarded in basketball and life because of who they are as people. They play with so much fire and give everything they have." 

Other scorers in the game for Walters State were Jaylen Wharton with five, JR Jacobs with four and Malachi Hale with three. 

Walters State set the tone from the start, as they got up 17-3 six minutes in. Simpson and Livingston each had five points during a stretch that forced Chattanooga State to use two timeouts.

However, Chattanooga State wouldn't go down easy as they fought all the way back and tied the game at 26 with seven minutes left in the half. The game was tied again at 28, but Simpson converted an and-one before Metz and Battle scored back-to-back baskets to make it 35-28. 

Chattanooga State ended the run with a basket, but Metz scored again and Simpson hit a shot to give the Senators a 10-point lead. Simpson hit one more three late in the half, but Chattanooga State scored the final four points of the half to cut the Senators lead to 43-37.

In the second half, the two teams battled for the first eight minutes. The score was 62-55 with 12 minutes to go when Walters State made their push, as Ambrose hit a three. After two free throws by Moore, Horton hit two of his own and Moore made a layup to make it 71-55. 

Chattanooga State continued to fight and got the lead down to 75-65, but the Senators put them to bed and then some in the final six minutes on a 19-4 run.

The Senators actually scored 17 straight points during the run, as Ambrose got things started with an acrobatic and-one. Livingston and Hale then hit back-to-back 3-pointers, before Horton scored. Jacobs made a layup after, and Livingston scored four straight points to make it 92-65. 

The Senators final points of the game came on two free throws by Simpson, as Walters State took the dominating win. 

"Chatt is a tough team," Nichols said. "They're long and athletic and physical. I knew we had to match their energy. I challenged our guys to match their energy all week, and I felt like we did that." 

Up Next:

Walters State has a quick turnaround on Wednesday, traveling to take on Roane State. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. 

"It's going to be tough," Nichols said. "Roane State is a really, really good team. They do a lot of stuff. We have to be ready to roll. Our schedule, it is what it is. There's no sorrow. You have to be ready to play. We're going to go and go compete and do what we do." 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics