It's a safe bet that few basketball teams have ever received the praise that Boyd-Buchanan earned from it head coach, Cole Rose, bestowed Saturday night.
Playing an injury and luck-starved Chattanooga Christian team on the road, Rose realized almost immediately that the CCS squad he'd scouted pre-holidays bore zero resemblance to the team that took the court last night.
Missing for the Chargers were leading scorer Drew Thomas (wrist) and head coach Jim Arnold (flu).
But casting a long shadow from the post position was 6-6 junior Josh Fikkert, who was playing only his sixth game after dealing with back issues – and the flu – along the way.
Fikkert looked like a potentially dominant post at times, leading all scorers with 24 points, but the rest of the Chargers like totally exactly three 3s and two two-pointers as the Bucs spread the floor late and pulled away with a 50-38 victory.
“We had a detailed scouting report and we worked hard to follow it in practice,” Rose said.
“I'd like to complement my team for listening to our scouting report – then throwing the thing away almost immediately when we realized they were not the same team we'd scouted.”
There was a transition period, as an early trey by CCS' Tucker Youngblood and a pair of Fikkert layups put the Chargers ahead 7-5. But the first of three 3s by Justus McMillan gave Boyd-Buchanan the lead back, 9-7, and the lead would never change hands again.
But going into the fourth quarter, that lead was still a mere three points, 31-28. McMillan's acrobatic three-point play past Fikkert was a key play to open the fourth quarter, and Rose soon spread the floor to set up a frustrating series of free throws. Boyd-Buchanan would have locked the way the lead much sooner, but missed five straight free throws – three front ends – down the stretch run.
It took four straight from Hall Allen to stop the bleeding, but Rose still winced when he saw his team hit only 12 of 23 free throws.
“We're a team of juniors, a young team, and any game where we can manage the game late is huge,” Rose said. “Hall is one of those players who will find different ways to help you win. Not all of them show up.”
Allen's 11 points were second only to McMillan's 20 to lead the 13-6 Bucs.
CCS GIRLS 61 BOYD-BUCHANAN 41 The Chattanooga Christian scoring tandem of Joanna Smith and Allison Hughes combined for 36 points Saturday night against the Boyd-Buchanan Lady Bucs – then took the fourth quarter off – in a 61-41 at CCS.
Smith led all scorers with 21 points for the 10-10 Lady Chargers, while Hughes was one of three CCS players who hit a 3-pointer during the game. For Boyd-Buchanan (2-14), Maddie Wright tried to be a one-woman team, finishing with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Boyd-Buchanan 10 9 7 15 – 41
Chatt. Christian 15 17 22 7 – 61
BOYD-BUCHANAN (41) – Abed 2, Payne 3, Balthrop 3, Reno, Davidson, Sewell 7, McCalla 7, Maddie Wright 17, Willmore, Roland 2.
CHATT. CHRISTIAN (61) – Allison Hughes 15, Delashmitt 3, Sabourini 4, Davis 3, Loyal 6, Day, Balch, Joanna Smith 21, Click 2, Dikse 7, Farlett.
3-point goals: BBS 4 (Sewell 2, Payne, McCalla); CCS 2 (Hughes, Dikse). Records: BB 2-14; CCS 10-10.
Boyd-Buchanan 13 8 10 19 – 50
Chatt. Christian 11 5 12 10 – 38
BOYD-BUCHANAN (50) – Hall Allen 11, Justus McMillan 20, Cox 8, Walker 4, Jenkins 5, Nason 2, Arendale.
CHATT. CHRISTIAN (38) – Youngblood 3, Moore, Matthews, Marshall 5, Conrady 6, Cord, Josh Fikkert 24.
3-point goals: BBS 6 (McMillan 3, Allen 2, Walker); CCS 3 (Conrady 2, Youngblood). Records: BBS 13-6; CCS 7-13.