McCallie Advances To D-II Final Four With 67-48 Win

Blue Tornado Will Face MBA On Thursday At Lipscomb University

  • Saturday, February 25, 2017
  • John Hunt
McCallie's Jay Gibson (5) starts a drive down the lane against the defense of Pope John Paul II's Devan Cambridge (35) and Michael Anderson. Gibson was one of three Blue Tornadoes in double figures, knocking down 10 points, as McCallie defeated the Knights, 67-48, to advance to next Thursday's Division II-AA semis at Lipscomb University against Montgomery Bell Academy, 46-42 winners over Christian Brothers.
McCallie's Jay Gibson (5) starts a drive down the lane against the defense of Pope John Paul II's Devan Cambridge (35) and Michael Anderson. Gibson was one of three Blue Tornadoes in double figures, knocking down 10 points, as McCallie defeated the Knights, 67-48, to advance to next Thursday's Division II-AA semis at Lipscomb University against Montgomery Bell Academy, 46-42 winners over Christian Brothers.
photo by Dennis Norwood

The third time wasn’t the charm for the Pope John Paul II Knights.

Playing at McCallie in the quarterfinal round of the Division II state basketball tournament Saturday night, the Knights played better than they had the previous two times they met, but the result was the same as McCallie advanced to the Final Four with a 67-48 victory.

McCallie, snipping a three-game losing streak with its first win in two weeks, improves to 26-7 overall and will face Montgomery Bell Academy on Thursday afternoon at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena with a 2:45 (CST) tipoff.

“That was ugly, but we advanced and we’re excited to be playing in the Final Four,” said McCallie coach John Shulman after his team won its final home game.

“We got a bye in the first round and took advantage of playing at home tonight and we’re 32 minutes away from playing for a state championship.  We beat Hamilton Heights here two weeks ago, but haven’t played well since in losing three straight games, but we were able to grind it out tonight and make enough shots to win.

“We didn’t shoot the ball very well as our confidence has been shaken, but I’m proud of our guys for gutting it out.  Now we have to get ready for MBA, who upset Christian Brothers.  We have already beaten MBA twice, but they know us about as well as we know them.  We’ll have to be ready to play to get past them again,” the third-year McCallie coach smiled.

The Knights battled on even terms for the first half of the first quarter and even led 8-6 following a short bank shot by Michael Anderson.

By the time Devan Cambridge scored on a layup two and a half minutes later, McCallie had scored 14 straight points and finished the quarter on an 18-2 run for a 24-10 lead when the first stanza ended.

Pope John Paul coach Charles Wade felt like that run may have been the difference in the game.

“They hit us with that big run at the end of the first quarter and we never really recovered,” he said after his team finished the season at 17-11.

“I felt like we were more prepared than last time, but we just had a couple of bad stretches that hurt our chances.  We weren’t consistent as we didn’t hit our open shots.  We held them to six points in the second quarter which wasn’t bad, but we just weren’t able to get over the hump.

“All the credit goes to McCallie.  We wish them the best next week,” Wade concluded.

The Knights outscored the Blue Tornado in both the second and third quarters and began the final stanza  trailing by 11 at 43-32.

Anderson scored to start the final eight minutes to get his team within 43-34 before McCallie went on a 14-2 run in the next four minutes for a commanding 57-36 lead and it never got much closer.

Junior Clay scored 15 points to lead the McCallie attack while Mac Hunt and Jay Gibson both followed with 10 points apiece.  Shulman was next with nine.

Cambridge topped the Knights with 17 points while Anderson added 10.

McCallie also won the rebound battle by an unofficial 38-23 margin.  Jorden Starling and Clay both grabbed six for the Blue Tornado while Henley Edge and Shulman both claimed five.  Jalson Cambridge was tops for Pope John Paul with four caroms.

POPE JOHN PAUL II  10  8  14  16  --  48

McCALLIE   24  6  13  24  --  67

POPE JOHN PAUL II (48) – Lowery 6, Thompson 2, Derivera, Carroll 2, Lang 2, Zanger, Rucker, Botsko, J. Cambridge 9, Galvin, Anderson 10, D. Cambridge 17, Albert.

McCALLIE (67) – Starling 6, Watson 2, Clay 15, Gibson 10, Hewitt 4, Edge 7, Shulman 9, Clark 2, Hunt 10, Lewis, Butler 2, Riddle.

3-POINT GOALS: Pope John Paul II 1 (D. Cambridge); McCallie 4 (Edge, Shulman, Hunt 2).

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

McCallie's Mac Hunt shoots for two of his 10 points against PJP II.
McCallie's Mac Hunt shoots for two of his 10 points against PJP II.
photo by Dennis Norwood
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