Joan Duran (4) of Hamilton Heights drives on Brainerd's Kentrell Evans on Thursday during their game at Chattanooga State. The Hawks won, 68-49. Duran turned in a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
photo by Dennis Norwood
On Tuesday, Ensworth used slow-down tactics to end Hamilton Heights’ 19-game winning streak.
Two nights later the Hawks played an up-and-down game against Brainerd – a pace that suited both teams – and toppled the Panthers, 68-49, to keep another win skein alive.
The win over Brainerd was Hamilton Heights’ 19th in a row against Chattanooga-area teams – the Hawks are 7-0 this year and went 12-0 in 2013-14.
Going back to the 2007-08 season, the Hawks are 96-40 versus area schools and McMinn Central is the last team to knock them off with a 60-59 win on Jan.
22, 2013, according to the Hawks’ web site.
“There are positives in every situation,” Hawks coach Zach Ferrell said. “I have good relationships with a lot of local coaches. They understand it’s OK if they don’t want to play us. There are no ill-feelings. If they do want to play us, that’s great.
“Any time we play local teams I don’t have to get in the bus and drive however far to play a game. And our kids don’t have to get home at 2 o’clock and go to school the next day. And we want to play local teams.”
A representative of the City of Palms Classic, one of the country’s premier prep basketball tournaments played for the past 42 years in Fort Meyers, Fla., was on hand Thursday night. He was scouting the Hawks (21-2) for a possible invitation to this year’s tourney to be played in December.
The event draws teams from as far away as California and more than 60 players who participated in the City of Palms tournament have gone on to play in the NBA, including Kwame Brown, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Kevin Love, Austin Rivers and Joe Johnson.
College coaches from across the nation find their way to Fort Meyers every December to scout plays taking part in the tournament.
On Thursday, the Hawks’ Joan Duran, who has collegiate offers from Middle Tennessee State and Eastern Florida, played like he was ready for the next level of competition right now.
Duran, a 6-foot-6-inch wing, turned in a sterling performance with 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four steals and one blocked shot against the Panthers.
Ezekiel Balogun and Milos Andelic also had 14 points each – Andelic scored 10 in the first half – and Abdulhakim Ado missed a triple-double by one point. His stat line: nine points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocked shots and five assists.
Duran opened with two quick 3-pointers in the first 58 seconds of play and parlayed them into a well-rounded effort.
“For sure,” said Duran, who hails from the Dominican Republic. “I say what the NBA players say. It’s not about games, it’s about practice. You play how you practice.”
In the 46-41 loss to Ensworth, Duran struggled mightily. He hit a 3 in the first quarter and failed to score in the final three. He shook that nightmare off quickly.
“The Ensworth coach (Ricky Bowers) is a really good coach, so you need to know that first of all,” Duran said. “That was Tuesday. We can’t bring the past to the present. We lost; that’s life. We came out with energy tonight and played hard.”
After signaling the Panthers and a crowd of about 1,300 fans at Chattanooga State that the Hawks were raring to go, Duran hit another field goal in a 13-4 run that helped Hamilton Heights open a 19-9 lead.
With a 24-15 advantage, the Hawks outscored the Panthers (13-5) by 20-3 over the final 6:14 before halftime to blow the game open at 44-18.
Milos Andelic, the point guard who triggers much of Hamilton Heights’ offense, scored six points in 32 seconds during the 20-3 run – all layups with two coming after steals.
Strahinja Micakovic did what he does best – drain a 3 from the left corner – while Andelic got the ball after a Duran steal and drove the lane for the Hawks’ final points of the first half.
It was a stark difference to how the team played at Ensworth.
“This was awesome,” Balogun said. “This is how we love to play basketball.
“I pretty much figured out that (Ensworth) was scared to play us. They didn’t want to take any chances because we are a more athletic team and once we get the ball it’s always going to the net. It was totally frustrating, ridiculous how they played. The just passed the ball around, but made some good decisions.
Early in the third quarter the Hawks got a layup from Andelic and a Balogun dunk off a Duran assist to open a 50-20 lead.
Brainerd’s Marques Tipton, who led the team with 13 points, made one of his three 3s, dropped in two free throws and a layup that cut Hamilton Heights’ lead to 52-27, but the quick burst wasn’t enough to worry the Hawks, who are ranked No. 3 in Tennessee by MaxPreps.com.
“We knew it would be a tough game,” Brainerd coach Levar Brown said. “I’m pleased with the fight of our club. We were down by 30 at one time, but we did not quit. We enjoyed the competition and I’m pleased with the kids’ effort.”
Brainerd’s Da’V Moore scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth period.
Hamilton Heights girls 56, Brainerd 18: Junior Marija Bardeeva paced the Lady Hawks with a game-high 16 points
Hamilton Heights’ Lady Hawks easily won the varsity opener, 56-18, over the Lady Panthers behind Mariya Bardeeva’s 16 points, 10 coming in the first half when Hamilton Heights built a 28-13 advantage.
Jazmine Massengill and Elizabeth Balogun each scored eight of their 13 points in the first half. Massengill made all three of the Lady Hawks’ 3-pointers.
Brainerd’s Jamee Ward scored 10 points, eight in the first period when she nailed a pair of 3s.
Hamilton Heights’ defense held the Lady Panthers to seven points over the final three quarters and outscored them 14-0 in the fourth
Summaries
Boys Game
Brainerd 12 6 14 17 – 49
Hamilton Heights 21 23 14 10 – 68
Brainerd (49) – Sow, Ross 4, Marques Tipton 13, Evans 6, Melvin 7, Hampton, Cothran 2, Herman 3, J. Walker 4, E. Walker, Da’V Moore 10.
Hamilton Heights (68) – Laing, Pitts, Joan Duran 14, Ado 9, Chantha, Huyler, Ezekiel Balogun 14, Micakovic 5, McCartney 3, Milos Andelic 14, Olatunji, Adheke 9, Massengill, Abubakar.
3-Point Goals – Brainerd 6 (Tipton 3, Evans 1, Melvin 1, Herman 1), Hamilton Heights 5 (Duran 2, Micakovic 1, McCartney 1, Adheke 1).
Girls Game
Brainerd 11 2 5 0 – 18
Hamilton Heights 20 8 14 14 – 56
Brainerd (18) – Jamee Ward 10, Brown 5, Calloway, Price, Walker 2, Ashley, Sparks, Watkins, McClendon 1.
Hamilton Heights (56) – Jazmine Massengill 13, D. Balogun, Elizabeth Balogun 12, Todorova, Onome 2, Monyei 2, Kasaciuraite 2, Mariya Bardeeva 16, Pleatauskaite, Hunt 9.
3-Point Goals – Brainerd 3 (Ward 2, Brown 1), Hamilton Heights 3 (Massengill).
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)
Post Abdulhakim Ado (14) grabs one of his 14 rebounds in front of Brainerd's Dajuonta Ross on Thursday night. The 6-foot-10-inch Ado also had 10 blocked shots.
photo by Dennis Norwood