Baylor blows out McCallie with sharp defense, dominant big men
An extremely active defensive effort paired with senior big men Kevin Sacas and Jack Shutters leading the show steered Baylor to a runaway 66-41 victory over McCallie on Friday night.
Two weeks after having to hold on for a 64-58 road win against the Blue Tornado, the Red Raiders feasted at home to sweep the regular-season series against their Chattanooga and TSSAA Division II-AA East Region rival.
The 6-foot-9 Shutters, a left-handed shooter, showcased his outside touch while drilling his second 3-pointer off a kickout by Sacas, who shortly after blocked a shot on the other end of the court, then was rewarded with his second dunk of the night off an assist from Zane Restelli.
The two-handed slam from the 6-foot-7 Sacas provided the largest lead of the game at 51-23 with 7:08 to play, and Baylor managed the considerable cushion well to improve to 15-3 overall and 4-0 in DII-AA East with the region tournament a little more than two weeks away.
"Our chemistry really started the first day Kevin got here from Lithuania," said Shutters, who scored a game-high 18 points and matched Sacas with eight baskets in the blowout. "After our first workout together, we went to Champy's, and we have become really close ever since. We really complement each other well on the court. He plays really hard and always gives full effort."
(READ MORE: Baylor big man Jack Shutters helps seal three-game sweep of McCallie)
Restelli provided stellar defense throughout the victory for the Red Raiders, who gave the visitors fits as the Blue Tornado (14-5, 1-4) could never get into an offensive rhythm. A lot of that had to do with the hosts deflecting passes left and right and turning those into points on the other end.
Restelli showcased his incredible slashing ability late, too, as the junior guard converted on four consecutive drives down the right side of the lane, which included a fancy behind-the-back layup through a foul. He finished with 15 points, five assists and two blocks.
"We really established ourselves on the defensive end," Baylor coach Mark Price said. "The most unselfish thing a team can do is defend, and we really were committed to that tonight and I am super proud of them. Zane played great defense tonight, and that is a great asset he can bring to our team along with playing well on all three levels offensively."
Sacas provided instant offense, scoring seven of his 17 points in the first quarter, and he also hauled in a team-high nine rebounds despite coming off the court for several breaks in the dominant victory.
Senior guard Nyziah Whaley added 13 points and had three steals and as many assists for the Red Raiders.
"It has been awesome to see Nyziah grow into the senior leader role this year," Shutters said. "We have really grown up together. This was the first year he and I didn't play football, and we spent a lot of time in the summer in the gym working together. That dedication to our senior year of basketball has really helped us out a ton."
(READ MORE: Baylor showcases scoring depth in region road win over CCS)
Price isn't taking for granted the chance to work with one of the most well-rounded teams in Tennessee.
"I am so blessed to get to coach these guys," Price said. "As talented as they are, they are equally as unselfish. They care a whole lot more about how we perform as a group than about their individual accolades or performances. That is what I am most proud of them for."
McCallie (14-5, 1-4), which had just one loss this season when it won the Times Free Press Best of Preps tournament in late December, is trying to figure out how to make things work without senior leader and point guard Parker Robison, who has been sidelined by a broken hand.
Bryce Kennebrew totaled nine points as the leading scorer for the Blue Tornado, getting five of those in the first quarter.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
by Patrick MacCoon
