Jamaal Calvin sparks rally for McCallie

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Jamaal Calvin wasn't ready for the basketball season to come to an end just yet. McCallie's fourth-quarter rally was as simple as that.

The Blue Tornado senior guard scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the final period to help his team fight back for a 61-54 victory over visiting St. Benedict in a Division II regional Saturday night.

"I just kept thinking how I didn't want this to be my last game as we walked out for the start of the fourth quarter," Calvin said. "We had played too much one-on-one for most of the game, but we finally started playing more together as a team and finding the open shooters in the fourth.

"And I was able to knock down a few when I was open."

McCallie, winner of three straight games and four of its last five, will travel to top-ranked Ensworth next Saturday for a D-II sub-state game. Ensworth won by 12 at McCallie one month ago.

The Tornado trailed at the end of each of the first three quarters Saturday but began the fourth with a 3-pointer by Nick Jacobs to take the lead, and Calvin followed with seven of his team's next nine points. Those included a driving layup and a free throw for a three-point play that stretched the advantage to five with just under three minutes remaining.

The Blue Tornado made 9 of 12 free throws in the final two minutes.

"Jamaal took over in the fourth, no doubt," McCallie coach Dan Wadley said. "We had some decent stops defensively and played like a veteran team down the stretch. We've played one of the toughest schedules in the state, and having been in a lot of those close games and knowing how to stay poised late paid off tonight."

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