McCallie hits late 3-pointer to snap Baylor's streak in hoops rivalry
McCallie senior guard Ernas Valauskas delivered a dream ending Friday night as the Blue Tornado halted a nightmarish losing streak in their series with Baylor.
And did so in dramatic fashion.
With his team trailing on the road in the TSSAA Division II-AA East Region matchup, the 6-foot-4 Valauskas drilled a contested 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 11 seconds left off an assist by freshman Pat Meyers.
Seconds later, Valauskas came up clutch on the other end of the court as the Dartmouth signee played great defense in the paint to force an errant shot that classmate Trell Knight corralled, putting an exclamation point on a 46-45 comeback victory for McCallie.
Two weeks after a 53-46 home loss to the Red Raiders, the Blue Tornado secured a split of the regular-season series between the Chattanooga rivals.
"This is absolutely amazing," said Valauskas, whose game-high 17 points helped McCallie improve to 16-7 overall and 3-3 in region play. "I hope we pick up from this and keep on winning. We still have a lot of time and more things to accomplish this season. This win means a lot.
"I mean, we haven't beaten Baylor in nine games. We finally beat them. You can't beat this feeling. I am proud of my guys and how we came back from 10 points down. Game winners are the best. That's what you work for every single day. I am just thankful for God giving me this opportunity to step up in that moment."
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The victory was McCallie's first in the series since a 55-46 home win on Jan 14, 2022. Friday's win was also the Blue Tornado's first regular-season road triumph over the Red Raiders since an 86-80 victory on Feb. 9, 2018.
Baylor (13-7, 2-3) led 38-28 after sophomore guard Taheim Elohem made a running floater to close the third quarter.
However, McCallie freshman point guard Jarris Walker, who finished with 12 points, quickly took over the fourth to ignite an 11-0 run. Walker provided the first eight points of the period, starting with a driving layup on the left side of the baseline. He next came up with a highlight-reel steal as Baylor attempted to put the ball in bounds at midcourt, then drew a foul as he drove to the basket for a layup in which the ball hung on the front of the rim before dropping in.
"Jarris was awesome," Valauskas said. "He will be a great player. We don't win this game without him."
Walker cut the deficit to 38-36 on his 3 from the right wing off an assist from senior Garrison White. On the ensuing Baylor possession, White forced a jump ball to gain possession back, which led to a three-point play by Trell Knight for a 39-38 lead.
Elohem's successful three-point play with 20 seconds left put Baylor up 45-43 before the clutch finish by McCallie. He led the Red Raiders with 14 points, while Anuskevicius followed with 12 points.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
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