With first place in the district on the line Tuesday night, the Chattanooga Christian boys’ basketball team was down 39-37 to host Boyd Buchanan heading into the fourth quarter, and CCS star Michael Houge was on the bench with an injured ankle.
The Boyd Buchanan student section was roaring after the Buccaneers ripped off 12 straight points to end the third quarter with the two-point lead – their first since midway through the first period. Junior Ian Johnson lit it up from behind the arc in the quarter, shooting 3-of-4 from long range and scoring 13 straight points for the Bucs to seize momentum and put the Chargers against the ropes.
The Chargers responded, however, ending the game on a 13-3 run to pull off an emotional 54-47 win. Led by senior Amos Davenport’s 14 points, the Chargers remain unbeaten in league play and are one win away from clinching the Division II-A East District 2 title.
“We talked at halftime about maintaining our composure,” Chargers coach Eddie Salter said. “They’re going to make runs and hit shots, but we can’t fold, and sure enough, they hit some great shots. But our players made plays, and we did a great job of rebounding and it was a great team win.”
The Chargers took Salter’s halftime advice, staying calm down the stretch. After Bucs junior Eli Evans hit a 3-pointer early in the final period to give his team a 44-41 lead, CCS fought back to tie the game at 47 with under two minutes to go.