McCallie's Seth Clark (14) controls a defensive rebound over Brentwood's Cam Johnson (22) in a runaway first half for the visiting Eagles. McCallie's Max Shulman (13) watches the battle.Brentwood Academy held McCallie to a season-low point total in Tuesday's Division II-AA East/Middle Region basketball game at McCallie. But BA's defense was upstaged, by its own offense.
The Eagles made 18 3-point goals to go with their defensive effort as the state's No. 1-ranked team whipped the No. 3 team 81-46.
BA (23-2, 8-0) was aware the Blue Tornado had played La Lumiere (Ind.) within seven points and beaten Hamilton Heights over the weekend. Those are two of the highest-rated teams in the nation in the CBS MaxPreps Independent Schools poll.
The loss to the Eagles was the second this season for McCallie (25-5, 8-2), which also lost to Oak Ridge, the No. 2-ranked team in the Associated Press Class AAA state poll, and Trinity (Ky.).
"We played great," BA coach Hubie Smith said. "We were really good on both ends of the floor. Our guys knew this was a statement game after they beat Hamilton Heights last Saturday. They've got a good team. If you look at their five losses, the teams they've lost to have like 90 percent wins."
The Blue Tornado saw the Eagles shoot 11-for-18 (61.1 percent) from behind the arc in the first half, which ended with BA leading 43-18.
"Back early in the year we were averaging about 10 3s a game," Smith said. "But we haven't made 18 before. I thought early in the game us forcing turnovers allowed us to get out in transition where we were able to make some wide-open 3s. We got a lot of those 3s because we played well on the defensive end.
"Even if we didn't shoot it well, we defended well. Everybody's going to look at the 18 3s, but you could take away six or seven of them. We still held them to 46 points."
McCallie coach John Shulman said he thought at halftime that the Eagles at least wouldn't be able to keep up that torrid shooting pace. But they made 7 of 10 (70 percent) after halftime.
The Eagles' offense is under the direction of Darius Garland, rated by 247Sports.com as the top point guard nationally in the class of 2018. He scored 14 points and had two 3-point goals and was instrumental in spreading the ball around to teammates such as Kam Lyons, who made six 3s and scored 20 points. Jeremiah Oatsvall, an Austin Peay football signee as a quarterback, made five 3s.
"Number 10 is a pro," Shulman said. "And when you're playing a pro at point guard, you're at his mercy. Shooting 18-for-28 from 3 is a very rare night. But when you've got a point guard like that and great guys that can shoot it, he'll find them.
"It's demoralizing when every time you look up they're making another 3 and another 3."
McCallie made 11 3-pointers but was limited to three field goals inside the arc compared to the Eagles' 10. Mac Hunt, whose points came on four 3-point baskets in the first half, was the Blue Tornado's only double-figure scorer.
Shulman said he reminded his players at halftime that no matter what, the season isn't over.
"We don't have to beat them three times," Shulman said of the Eagles. "We've just got to figure out a way to beat them once, when it counts at the state tournament, and figure out a way to get there."
* Brentwood Academy 64, GPS 25: Junior Brooke McCurdy, who was honored during the game for surpassing the 1,000-point mark in her career Thursday, led the Bruisers in defeat with nine points.
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.