MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — If Chattanooga Prep basketball coach Christian Collins can continue to keep his team focused and calm, a gold ball trophy might be headed back to Highland Park this weekend.
Even without any seniors, the Sentinels believe they have the players to win a title ahead of schedule.
Collins’ crew showcased outstanding depth Wednesday as the BlueCross Basketball State Championships for public school boys’ teams tipped off, running away in the second half of an 85-53 victory over Union City in the first TSSAA Class 1A quarterfinal of the day at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.
The third-year program got points from 12 players, and the Sentinels finished with a 38-2 scoring advantage in bench production, with the reserves sparked by 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Joel Bulis.
In his third game back since recovering from a preseason knee injury, Bulis scored 17 points and made one of his team’s nine 3-pointers while missing just one of his eight field-goal attempts. He scored three putback baskets and also had a pair of steals in 17 minutes off the bench.