Second-Ranked Oak Hill Smashes McCallie, 89-59, In Classic

National prep power Oak Hill Academy lived up to its billing Friday night in the inaugural McCallie Classic.

Senior Braxton Key, who plans to play college basketball at Alabama, scored 11 of his 19 points in the first quarter, junior Lindell Wigginton put up 16 of his game-high 22 in the second half and the second-ranked Warriors shellacked the host Blue Tornado, 89-59, at McCallie’s jam-packed Sports and Activities Center.

In postgame remarks, Key, who led Nashville’s Christ Presbyterian to the TSSAA state tournament last season before taking his talents to Mouth of Wilson to play for the Warriors, threw the gauntlet down in advance of Saturday’s clash with 24^th-ranked Hamilton Heights.

“We played all right tonight,” he said, “but we can play a lot better.”

Key has been spearheading the Warriors all season, contributing in various ways and legendary coach Steve Smith was happy to talk about his big senior after the game.

“Braxton can do a lot of things on the floor,” Smith said. “He’s among our top two or three scorers, top rebounder, steals leader and second in assists.”

Hamilton Heights (22-2) pulled away from Central (16-2) in the second half and blasted the Purple Pounders, 67-42, behind Therren Shelton-Szmidt’s 26 point performance.  

“Hamilton Heights is a great team and we beat them by single digits earlier at our place,” Key said. “I think we can come out Saturday, play great and win by double digits.”

Oak Hill, which has won 29 in a row since losing to 22ft Academy, 70-67, on Nov. 14, rode Key’s quick offensive start to build a 10-point cushion after one quarter. The Warriors kept the scoring pace going in the second, turned up the defensive heat and rolled to a 47-21 advantage at halftime.

However, with officials being quick with the whistle, the Warriors were concerned with their lack of depth this weekend. Legendary coach Steve Smith only had three reserves to call on.

Khadim Sy finished with four fouls while Matt Coleman, Wigginton and Kenny Nwuba had three apiece. McCallie’s Adrian Thomas and Mac Hunt each had four fouls.

Blue Tornado coach John Shulman didn’t escape unscathed either.

With 7:06 left in the third quarter, Shulman was slapped with a technical foul and Oak Hill turned it into a five-point possession – Ty-Shon Alexander made two free throws and Wigginton followed with a 3.

Moments later, Shulman had a few seconds with one of the officials.

“Down 40 (actually 36, but who’s counting), explain to me why I get a technical,” Shulman said. “Explain.”

There was no explanation forthcoming.

Smith started with a 10-man roster, but lost two players early to ACL injuries, including post Harry Giles III, the nation’s No. 1 prospect who signed with Duke.

The long-time coach left suspended two players – Mario Kegler and Montez Mathis – and they didn’t make the trip.

“I was a little worried there for a while,” Smith said. “But we were able to keep the guys on the floor and it worked out all right.”

There was still plenty of firepower on the court.

After halftime Wigginton was on a mission.

He opened with a 3-pointer. He capped a fastbreak with a dunk, popped another 3 from the wing and hit a routine jumper for 10 of the Warriors’ first 12 points in a 16-3 run that opened a 59-21 lead.

Matt Coleman made a layup and Wigginton dropped put-back and the Oak Hill lead was 63-22.

Following the team’s lone loss, Smith moved Wigginton from the point to the 2-spot and has dramatically increased his offensive contribution to the Warriors’ runaway train.

“Since we made the change he’s been averaging about 20 points a game,” Smith said. “He’s one of our better offensive players and Matt runs of the offense and keeps everybody happy.”

McCallie rallied with a 25-point fourth quarter – Max Shulman scored 10 points – and Oak Hill just trying to end the game.

“I think we got content with the large lead,” Smith said.

Shulman, in his second year at McCallie, took the loss in stride.

“You can get beat by 50 points by that team pretty easy,” he said. “Those players are up there for one reason: to prepare them to play in the SEC or the ACC. They have a tremendous skill level. The three guys they bring off the bench are Division I kids, too.”

Ty-Shon Alexander scored 19 points and Rodney Miller added 12 for the Warriors.

Junior Clay and Shulman each scored 14 points for the Blue Tornado (21-5).

In the night’s opener, Central (16-2) played the Hawks toe-to-toe for 19 minutes. The talented Hawks, extending their winning streak to 14, turned the lights out on coach Rick Rogers’ squad.

The game was tied 24-24 early in the third, but Hamilton Heights closed it out with a 16-3 run for a 10-point halftime lead.

A 17-2 run to start the fourth quarter enabled the Hawks’ lead to balloon to 57-32. Abdulhakim Ado, who twice left the floor with a bloody nose, hit two free throws and a bucket to trigger the offensive spree.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker capped it with six straight points, including mid-court steal and dunk at the other end. The final 3 minutes, 42 seconds was just a formality.

“We played better in the second half,” Szmidt said. “We weren’t really playing together in the first half.”

Szmidt scored 13 points in the first and second halves, and has put up five straight double-figure scoring games.

“Fortunately, I’ve been knocking down my shots,” he said. “I think I can hit almost any shot. I’ve got a lot of confidence right now.”

Hawks coach Zach Ferrell agreed that Szmidt is a self-assured player at this point in the season.

“Every day is the same with him,” Ferrell said. “He never lets emotion get the best of him and his success is well-deserved.”

Walker finished with 15 points and seven rebounds and the team's only other 3. Silas Adheke added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Ado finished with nine points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.

The Hawks outrebounded the Pounders, 43-28

Ryan Montgomery paced the Purple Pounders with 18 points – nine in each half – and no other Central player reached double figures. Montgomery grabbed 11 rebounds against the taller Hawks and McClendon Curtis had eight boards and seven points.

Rogers addressed Hamilton Heights’ sudden burst to erase any doubt about the game’s outcome.

“We just stopped, ran out of gas,” he said. “We couldn’t make a shot, we kept turning the ball over, but I hope we learned a lesson from this. Their length was a problem for us.

“Hamilton Heights does things you can’t simulate in practice unless somebody is holding up brooms. We can’t wait to get back into our district schedule where people look like they’re from our same planet.”

Boxscores

Central                                                 11 9 10 12 – 42

Hamilton Heights                               12 12 16 27 – 67

Central (42) – Lane 4, Poole 3, Ryan Montgomery 18, Swafford 2, Hayes 5, Baxter 3, Abshire, Benford, Reid, Spotts, Jackson, Curtis 7, Burns.

Hamilton Heights (67) – Abubakar 1, Ado 9, Therren Shelton-Szmidt 26, Nickeil Alexander-Walker 15, Massengill 2, Gilgeous-Alexander 4, Silas Adheke 10.

3-Point Goals – Centrdal 2 (Hayes 1, Baxter 1), Hamilton Heights 7 (Shelton-Szmidt 6, Alexander-Walker 1)  

Oak Hill                                               24 23 18 24 – 89

McCallie                                              14 7 13 15 – 59

Oak Hill (89) – Coleman 6, Braxton Key 19, Lindell Wigginton 22, Shuler 9, Ty-Shon Alexander 19, Sy 2, Nwuba, Rodney Miller 12.

McCallie (59) – Craig 4, Junior Clay 14, Thomas 8, Hewitt 1, Edge, Clark 5, Hunt, Bett 6, Riddle, McCalley 2, Max Shulman 14, Starling 3, Hightower 2.

3-Point Goals – Oak Hill 8 (Alexander 3, Key 2, Wigginton 2, Shuler 1), McCallie 6 (Bett 2, Shulman 2, Clay 1, Thomas 1).

(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44 @gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44))