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When the Best of Preps rolls into Chattanooga, one thing is guaranteed, huge crowds and competitive basketball. That was exactly the case this year at Chattanooga State, where the Mccallie Blue Tornado stole the show with physical play and stiff defense.
The championship atmosphere was felt early as the gym reached capacity during warmups, leaving fans outside waiting for others to exit before gaining entry.
Mccallie road to the title wasn’t always pretty. The Blue Tornado survived an overtime thriller against Red Bank in the semifinal round, highlighted by a late steal from tournament MVP Trell Knight, avenging last season’s Best of Preps loss to the same opponent Red Bank Lions.
Mccallie delivers on the Big Stage
In Monday night’s championship game, Mccallie delivered when it mattered most, defeating Boyd Buchanan 62-52 to claim the Best of Preps championship in front of a packed Chattanooga State Gym.
After last year’s early loss, the Blue Tornado were hungry and set the tone early, pushing tempo and using defensive physicality to establish control. Boyd Buchanan showed resilience, staying within striking distance by responding to every Mccallie run.
The Bucs drew several key charges in the first half, forcing Mccallie standout Ryan Wingard into foul trouble and keeping the game competitive heading into halftime
2nd Half Defense Seals it
The turning point came in the 2nd half, when Mccallie strung together multiple defensive stops to build and maintain a double digit lead. From there, Ernas Valauskas stepped up, helping Mccallie maintain composure and execute in key moments while limiting mistakes down the stretch. Ernas finished with a team high 17 points.
Despite the loss, Boyd Buchanan’s Caleb Hardaway and Asa Fortune displayed toughness and competitiveness throughout the tournament. Their run to the championship game showed a battle tested group preparing for a post season run
What’s Next/Tournament Honors
Mccallie improves to 12-4 with the victory and now turns its attention to another major challenge at the upcoming Dr. Pepper Classic, which will feature several top programs in the Nation.
Mccallie’s Trell Knight was named Tournament MVP after finishing the championship game with 14 points. Ernas Valauskas and Ryan Wingard also earned All-Tournament honors
For Boyd Buchanan, Asa Fortune, Caleb Hardaway, and Hudson Jones we all name to the All-Tournament team.
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