The Chattanooga Christian Chargers lost a high school basketball game at home last Friday against nationally-ranked Hamilton Heights, the lopsided 79-46 final score somewhat expected.
These same Chargers played at Red Bank’s Susan Ingram Thurman Gymnasium on Tuesday night. They came out on the short end of the stick once again by a similar 66-29 final score to the Lions in another lopsided result that wasn’t expected.
Red Bank improves to 11-7 with the non-district win while the Chargers fall to 13-4.
Red Bank coach Nick Fike doesn’t say much about his team’s offense, but they get after it on defense and that attacking effort creates good things on the other end of the court.
“We’ve tried to use a different mindset since the Best of Preps tournament, but defense sets the tone and that’s what helps our offense click,” he said following Tuesday’s game.
“I’m extremely pleased with our effort. We still have a lot to work on and some stuff to clean up, but I’m really happy with how we came out tonight. This group can get after you on defense and that was the key tonight, but we’ve been trying to turn a corner against quality teams and that is what I’m talking about tonight.
“I really wasn’t expecting a game like this, but we keep preaching to our kids that it’s a journey, not a destination. We just have to keep battling,” Fike said.
CCS coach Eddie Salter didn’t spend much time in his dressing room after the game as there really wasn’t much to say.
“That’s what I call a good old-fashioned butt whipping,” he said with a smile as he came back out.
“We lost a game like this against Hamilton Heights on Friday, but at least we competed. Red Bank came to play and we were just flat. We went through the motions as we didn’t compete. There wasn’t much I could do about it as Red Bank was up for us. We just didn’t answer the call.
“I thought we played lazy defense and it was not typical Chattanooga Christian basketball. Nothing went right, but we need to fix it quickly as we have a bunch of big games coming up,” he added, knowing that a road game at McCallie is next on Friday.
The first quarter was somewhat competitive, but not so much afterward.
Brandon Jones scored on a putback a minute in for a 2-0 Red Bank lead before CCS scored seven straight points, including six from Michael Houge.
Lucas Brown then got the hot hand for the Lions and scored six points as Red Bank finished the quarter on a 9-2 run for an 11-9 lead when the first stanza ended.
Traveon Scott nailed a 3 from the wing with 7:21 left in the second period and twin brother Treveon Scott sank the first of two free throws with 6:27 left to get the Chargers within a point at 14-13, but CCS didn’t score the rest of the half as Red Bank finished the half with 22 unanswered points.
The lead was 36-13 at intermission.
CCS scored six of the first eight points to start the second half, the last on a free throw by Treveon Scott with 5:21 left to cut Red Bank’s lead in half at 38-19, but the Lions finished that quarter with 18 more unanswered points for a 56-19 lead with one quarter remaining.
The mercy rule was in effect at that point and both coaches emptied their benches as the outcome had been determined long before the fourth quarter began.
Brown scored 20 points to lead Red Bank while Jones was next with 13.
Houge scored a dozen points for the Chargers while Treveon Scott was next with nine.
Red Bank also won the battle of the boards by an unofficial 36-26 margin after holding an 18-17 edge at the half.
Taylor Swanson and Jones both had six for Red Bank while Lekerrick Ellison and Brown both snagged five each. Houge had eight for CCS while Treveon Scott claimed six for the Chargers.
RED BANK GIRLS 63, CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 34: The Lady Lions built a big lead early with a 10-point spread (18-8) after one quarter before extending it to 40-16 by intermission.
Raijena Bell scored 16 points to lead Red Bank, now 15-5 overall. Arteya Scott was next with 15 while Bailey Lee had 12.
Maddie Zidan was the scoring leader for CCS with eight points.
GIRLS SUMMARY
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 8 8 11 7 -- 34
RED BANK 18 22 7 16 -- 63
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN (34) – Lowe 6, Blevins 6, McGill, Davick, Brady 3, Barnes 1, Zidan 8, Ricketts 2, Walker, Youell 2, Rolleston, Bray 3.
RED BANK (63) – Washington 7, Loher 2, Crafton, Heathington, Scott 15, Ledford 2, Bell 16, Lee 12, Ware 9.
3-POINT GOALS: Chattanooga Christian 2 (Lowe, Brady); Red Bank 4 (Scott, Bell 2, Lee).
BOYS SUMMARY
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 9 4 6 10 -- 29
RED BANK 11 25 20 10 -- 66
CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN (29) – Van Meter 3, Tre. Scott 9, Carter, Young, Eng 2, Hinton, Houge 12, Stimart, Lewis, Tra. Scott 3, Hall.
RED BANK (66) – Ross 2, Long 2, Brown 20, Eddins 4, Trimble 8, Swafford 5, Jones 13, Bell 2, Ellison 4, Swanson 2, Strickland 2, Young 2.
3-POINT GOALS: Chattanooga Christian 2 (Van Meter, Tra. Scott); Red Bank 3 (Brown 3).
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)