Chattanooga Prep Rolls In State Opener

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Prep Sentinels have faced more than their share of negative adversity in the past week, but it didn’t seem to have any negative effect on the way they played their opening game of the BlueCross State Championships here at MTSU’s Murphy Center Wednesday afternoon.

The Sentinels won their first state title a year ago and set their number-one goal of winning another this time around. Who knows what will happen the rest of the week, but those guys in the white uniforms with navy blue numbers made quite an impression against a really good Santa Fe team.

Santa Fe is from Maury County, which is just outside of Nashville. The Wildcats had a large following at Wednesday's game and they were quite vocal before the game began, but the longer the game was played, the quieter they became.

While the Sentinels face Humboldt in the first Class A semifinal on Friday, the second will be a battle between Hillcrest and Wayne Co. The Vikings advanced with a 56-39 win over Pickett County while Wayne County eliminated Harriman by a 62-55 final.

The Sentinels have lots of offensive weapons, but coach Christian Collins is always preaching the importance of defense and that was a huge factor in Prep’s 84-44 victory over the Wildcats.

“Hard work always goes undefeated,” Collins said in his opening comment during the post-game interview.

“When you get on the big stage, it’s hard to stay with the game plan at times, but we were able to stay with it and we won by wearing them down in the second half. We played a lot of really good teams during the season to help us prepare for days like this and today it showed.

“We know that Humboldt has an outstanding team, but we just have to play Chattanooga Prep basketball and do things the right way. If we do that, we’ll be okay,” Collins said in reference to his team’s next opponent in Friday’s semifinals.

Santa Fe coach Brad Slaughter felt like this just wasn’t his teams day as they finished a great season at 28-4.

“They were good, but we just didn’t defend and it went downhill in a hurry,” he said later.

“We just couldn’t seem to get it together as it was hard to get back in a rhythm after that horrible start. The ball just wouldn’t go in as it wasn’t our night. This team won one game in the two years before I became their coach, so for us to win two region championships and to be at the state tournament two years in a row makes me really proud,” he added.

The score was tied at 2-2 at the start, but the Wildcats never led as an 8-4 Prep lead extended to 19-9 when the first quarter ended.

Things just went in opposite directions for both teams in the second stanza as the Sentinels made 17 of 31 field goals in the first half for 54.8 percent while the Wildcats were ice cold after making just four of 29 shots from the field for a frigid 13.8 percent, including 0-7 from long range.

Auden Slaughter, a really good player for the Wildcats who was honored on Tuesday as the Class A Mr. Basketball winner, had a miserable game despite leading his team with 21 points. He made just two of 16 shots in the first half, including none of five from long range. The second half wasn’t much better as he finished 7-29 from the field and 1-7 from long range.

Meanwhile freshman Cadence Collins was outstanding for the Sentinels and finished with 24 points after scoring 13 in the first half. Contrary to what Mr. Slaughter did, Collins finished the game by making nine of 13 from the field and three of four from long range. He also had four assists as the Sentinels finished the game with 19 while Santa Fe had but one.

Derrick Roberson, last year’s state tournament MVP, followed with 14 points. He and Joel Bulis both snagged eight rebounds as the Sentinels had a 45-28 advantage on the glass.

The Mercy Rule took over with 2:42 to play after the lead swelled to 75-40. The biggest lead of the game was the final 40-point margin of victory.

Chattanooga Prep is now 26-8 for the season.

The Sentinels now face the Humboldt Vikings after they eliminated North Greene by a 54-35 final in Wednesday’s first game. That semifinal contest will be the first game on Friday with tip set for 9:30 local time.

 

SANTA FE	9	9	15	11	-- 44
CHATTANOOGA PREP	19	23	20	22	--84

SANTA FE (44) – J. Slaughter, Graves 5, Macon Adkison 10, Auden Slaughter 21, Hazlett, Sisk 3, Potts 1, Maxwell Adkison, C. Adkison 2, Brady 2, Lewis, J. Slaughter, Mills, Hardin.

CHATTANOOGA PREP (84) – Cadence Collins 24, A. Jones 4, Bowman 4, Bulis 9, Derrick Roberson 14, Sutton, Watkins 7, Williams 5, Craig 3, Parker 2, Koon 8, M. Jones 4

3-POINT GOALS: Santa Fe 2 of 14 for 14.3 percent (A. Slaughter, Sisk); Chattanooga Prep 7 of 14 for 50 percent (Collins 3, A. Jones, Bulis, Koon 2).

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)