The Chattanooga Christian boys' basketball team did something Tuesday night that no other team has been able to do all season.
The Chargers beat Baylor.
And the message the Chargers wanted people in the area and across the state to hearcame through loud and clear: We can compete with anybody.
The host Chargers defeated Baylor 69-58 behind a monster 26-point performance from junior Michael Houge. The Red Raiders (15-1) came into the game at the top of the first Associated Press Division II-AA rankings that came out on Monday, while CCS (15-3) was ranked third in Divison II-A.
"We went into the game knowing that we could win," Houge said. "It was a huge win for us because it shows us and the whole city that we can play with anybody, and it proves to us what we're capable of doing heading into the playoffs."
Baylor had no answer for Houge, who showed off every facet of his offensive arsenal throughout the game. The big man established his dominance in the paint with his teammates continually feeding him the ball in the post. He also displayed remarkable touch on his midrange jumper and hit one of two tries from behind the arc.
After a back-and-forth first quarter that ended with the score tied at 15, CCS took control midway through the second period. Trailing by three, the Chargers defense sparked an 8-0 run highlighted by a block by senior Mondo Ellison that sent the student section crazy.
"I'm just so proud of the kids tonight," said Chargers coach Eddie Salter. "If we can compete with a team the caliber of Baylor, we can use that as a scale to weigh how well we're doing. We challenged our kids in the beginning with rebounding, playing hard defense and shot selection, and they did those things against a great squad. Everybody had their role, and they executed their role."
Houge scored 10 in the second quarter, and Baylor went 0-for-11 from long range in the first half as CCS led 29-26 at the break.
After scoring the first six points out of the locker room and extending the lead to 11 heading into the fourth quarter, the Chargers had the chance to prove to everyone that they would not wilt under the pressure of a lead.
That's exactly what they did. In a frenetic fourth quarter with a combined 44 points, the Chargers went 15-of-20 from the free-throw line to effectively seal the game. Senior John Rhodes did most of that damage, knocking down 10 of his 12 attempts as he finished the game with 18 points.
"If we don't execute like we did to close out the game, they get back into it," Salter said. "We've been struggling shooting free throws, and tonight we stepped it up."
CCS will host Silverdale Baptist Academy in district action Friday, while Baylor hopes to rebound at home against top rival McCallie.
Contact Kevin Llewallyn at sports@timesfreepress.com.