SLAM DUNKS: Pember heroics make for a happy homecoming for Morrell; Bucs trying to figure things out heading into SoCon play
Being a native of the Tri-Cities TN metro area, Saturday was a homecoming for UNC Asheville head coach Mike Morrell. Drew Pember made it a party for the Bulldogs.
A miracle rally in the final seconds when it looked like East Tennessee State had shut the door on UNC Asheville ended with a prayer by Drew Pember that fell into the net and the Bulldogs left Johnson City with a 74–73 victory in what was an outstanding college basketball game at Freedom Hall, just a few miles from the ETSU campus.
Here at Slam Dunks we have shared Morrell’s story before he is a native of Elizabethton, TN which if you know anything about that area you know that Elizabethton is basically a suburb of Johnson City but has more of a community small town Americana feel to it.
Two of Elizabethton’s most well-known citizens include former Dallas Cowboy legend Jason Witten, Morrell’s best friend and former teammate of his at Elizabethton High School in football and basketball along with Johnny Mills, who played football for the University of Tennessee and held the receiving yardage record for a game for decades till it was finally broken. Mills passed away earlier this week at age 77.
Morrell played in Freedom Hall several times as a player with Elizabethton under head coach Tony Hardin, and also as a collegiate standout with Milligan University, which is also located in Elizabethton.
This trip to Johnson City was different. Morrell was leading a Bulldog team into a rivalry game against the Bucs who coming in was really struggling to win close games.
The Bulldogs came in as the favorite, but I told an ETSU staff intern before the game started that I felt ETSU was going to play inspired and that this game was going to come down to the end. It happened almost like that.
UNCA led by 11 with 9:38 to go in the game but ETSU roared all the way back and took the lead with a minute to play.
With ETSU ahead 73–70, the Bucs elected to foul UNCA and then after making one foul was able the Dogs were able to get the rebound and the back down 73–71 and then a loose back came almost to where I was sitting on press row that fortunately didn’t hit my computer and with the Bucs touching it, UNCA had one more shot.
The basketball went to Pember, a University of Tennessee transfer, that is probably one of the best players in mid-major hoops, and he with a Buc strongly in his face hit the shot and that was the game.
The UNCA players stormed the court and pandemonium ensued in Freedom Hall.
“It is hard to block Drew because he gets the ball off so quickly,” Morrell said. “I think he made the one right at the end of the half. He is just a great player. I am really proud of my team tonight.”
This game looked like it was going to have a nightmarish ending for Bulldogs and the Homecoming was going to be ruined for Morrell, but one miracle shot changed everything for UNCA.
You would think that maybe Morrell was taking pride in coming to practically his hometown and defeating the hometown school, but it was not like that for him.
Morrell, who has also been an assistant at schools like VCU, Clemson and Texas, said this one was about the kids playing at UNCA but he did look back fondly at his roots in the Tri-Cities.
“I played a lot of games in Freedom Hall,” he said. “Jason Witten’s wife (Michelle) sent me a picture of a game here of me jumping in the air. To me it is just another game, but this is home. (Former ETSU assistant and Chattanooga head coach) John Shulman was one of my greatest mentors. I used to go to camps here as a kid. This is a fun game, but it is great for us quite frankly.”
On a night where Pember struggled till the end, Morrell counted on a player that really means a lot to him and to the UNCA program. Jamon Battle stepped up and had a huge night with 21 point and a couple of rim rocking dunks.
“I say this all the time, you are not supposed to have favorites but Jamon is my favorite,” Morrell said. “It is because he embodies what this program is all about. We are very pleased with him and he is having a good year so far.”
Whether this series continues after this year remains to be seen but being on press row it definitely felt like a rivalry. This was a very intense ball game that both teams really fought to win.
I think everybody in attendance would love to see the series keep going, but Morrell says he doesn’t have much control over the situation.
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“It is a rivalry if we keep playing,” he said. “This is the end of the agreement. It is nice getting on a bus and being here in 55 minutes. If we keep playing it would be a rivalry.
“It is not my decision if we keep playing. Several factors go into it scheduling is one of them and the transfer portal as well. We finalized this series two days after (ETSU head coach Desmond Oliver) got the job. We will talk about it, but it has to make sense for both parties involved.”
UNCA has one more non-conference game left at Arkansas, but it currently stands at 8–4 following a solid non-conference season that included a win over future Big 12 member UCF.
Most prognosticators feel UNCA is going to be in the mix in the Big South this season, but Morrell says he is not watching game film or ESPN Plus archives on conference teams just yet.
The focus for Morrell is totally on his team.
“I don’t really know much about the league,” Morrell said. “I haven’t really had much of a chance to see other teams play. You probably watch more games than I do.”
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BUCS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO WIN CLOSE GAME.
East Tennessee State has probably the best tradition in college basketball in the state when you look at success for a sustained period of time. From Keith Jennings and Calvin Talford in the late 80s and early 90s to really a forgotten but highly successful period about 20 years ago when head coach Ed Dechellis built back a floundering program and ETSU got back into the big dance.
Finally, there are the teams under current Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes where the Bucs made the NCAA Tournament twice but only played in it once because of the Covid cancellation in 2020.
Since Forbes departure, the Bucs have had their struggles. After a .500 rebuilding year in Johnson City, Jason Shay was let go most likely not because of basketball and right after former Tennessee assistant Des Oliver was hired.
Oliver has definitely had a rough couple of years, but the jury still out on him on whether he can turn this program around. One thing is for sure though, Saturday definitely hurt.
Seven of the Bucs eight losses have been seven points or less, and just when it looked like the ETSU was going to have a wonderful night celebrating, Pember pulled his magic.
For Oliver, there is a lot of pain in the ETSU program right now and he shares the loyal Buccaneer faithful’s frustration.
“I am awfully proud of my team because for most of the season were down nine, ten or 11 trying to catch up,” he said. “I know our fans want us to be good right now. I want it to be this year.
“Everybody has been telling us we are going to be really good, but it hurts because we lost by one possession.”
Following a road trip to Baton Rouge to take on SEC program LSU and new head coach and former Appalachian State star Matt McMahon, a new season and calendar year starts for the Bucs as SoCon play begins.
Oliver wants to forget about these first 12 games and make noise in the Southern Conference.
“In just eight days we start another season after we go to LSU,” Oliver said. “We aren’t playing non-conference anymore. We have to learn how to fight and learn how to win. These guys are going to fight to change this season.”
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Matt Hill is the author of Slam Dunks (College Basketball) and Love 40 (Pro Tennis) on medium.com. You can follow him on Twitter @MHilllovetennis. Send a friend request.
