Scoring a game-high 24 for the Blue Tornado, junior Parker Robison led his team to a 54-52 comeback victory over Boyd Buchanan in his return from injury.
Neither team was particularly careful with the basketball in this one and buckets were tough to come by in the first half. Boyd Buchanan’s senior point guard Ryan Lopez was under control just enough, however, to help them to a four-point lead to end the quarter.
“This was Parker’s first game back and we’re just not comfortable with each other yet,” said first-year head coach Steve Robison. “Boyd’s a good team. They’re good defensively and they make you work,” said Robison.
Lopez scored 6 of the 15 Buccaneer first-quarter points, knocking down a wing three and finishing through contact for a tough bucket plus the foul. Eli Gardenhire started the second quarter by adding a triple of his own to stretch the early lead for the Bucs.
Offenses grew stagnant to start the second quarter and the first bucket didn’t come until the ever-consistent Parker Robison finally took the lid off the basket with a jumper from the elbow almost three minutes into the quarter. Boyd Buchanan responded with a couple of threes to stay in command, one of which came from Caden Johnson who finished with 11 points.
McCallie, on the other hand, still couldn’t find the range from downtown. Though not shy about attempting them, the Blue Tornado misfired on three after three in the first half. In fact, on one second-quarter three-point attempt, the ball ended up wedged between the rim and the backboard where it stared down at the players as if it was threatening never to come down should they continue to heave up deep shots.
Late in the half, having fallen behind by nearly double digits, McCallie’s Bryce Kennebrew connected from downtown to lift McCallie’s three-point curse and keep them close as the half came to a close.
Head coach Steve Robison told his squad during the half, “We know we didn’t play that great, but we’re only down six. The game ain’t over.”
Robison’s team responded as Kennebrew’s long-range make opened the floodgates for the Blue Tornado. Midway through the third quarter, McCallie went on a 12-3 run with all 12 of those points coming by way off the long ball, two from Andrew Smith and two from Parker Robinson. Suddenly in a tie game, the third quarter ended with all of the momentum residing with McCallie.
The three-point flurry continued to start the fourth with nine straight points coming from outside, back-to-back triples from McCallie answered by Ryan Lopez for the Bucs.
Down the stretch, physicality picked up, as did energy from the fans. McCallie’s student section came alive and with every bucket for the Blue Tornado, the students reciprocated the quality play with raised intensity and volume.
Down one point with only a minute remaining, McCallie’s Griff Milner hit his biggest shot of the contest, draining a deep three to put his team ahead by two. Late in the shot clock on the Bucs’ ensuing possession, Caden Johnson tied the game with a tough layup to silence the McCallie home crowd with under 30 seconds to play.
McCallie used a timeout to draw up a play, and with the shot clock turned off, Parker Robison dribbled the ball just below halfcourt. As the game clock ticked under 10 seconds, Robison made his move. Blanketed by good Buccaneer defense, Robison drove to his right and gracefully laid the ball off the backboard and into the bottom of the net for the game’s deciding bucket.
“We talked before the game about things that are easy and things that are hard,” said Steve Robison. “In this age, kids like things easy. I told them that we’ve got to understand that this is going to be hard. Hopefully, we can take away a few lessons and start banking them away,” said Robison.
A cleaner second half and clutch offense was the difference in a big win for a young McCallie team under a first-year head coach.
Summary
MCCALLIE 11 8 15 20 -- 54
BOYD BUCHANAN 15 10 9 18 -- 52
MCCALLIE (54) – Parker Robison 24, Killebrew 7, Smith 6, Milner 6, Wingard 4, Kwasigroch 2, Salter 5
BOYD BUCHANAN (52) – Caden Johnson 11, Nolan 6, Noah Reid 2, Moore 8, Ryan Lopez 10, Gardenhire 5, Johnston 7, Hardaway 2
3-point goals: McCallie 8 (Robison 3, Milner 2, Smith 2, Kennebew, 1) Boyd Buchanan 6 (Lopez 2, Johnston 1, Johnson 1, Nolan 1, Gardenhire 1)
Records: McCallie 4-4 overall; Boyd Buchanan 3-2 overall.