Grand Ledge trailed Class B power Detroit Country Day by just three points after the first quarter on Saturday, but then the Yellowjackets turned on the jets.
Ray McCallum burned the Comets for 27 points, directing a relentless transition game to a 82-56 victory in the Meijer Holiday Hoops Invitational. He is the son of Detroit Mercy coach Ray McCallum Sr.
"They got up and down the floor really well,"
Grand Ledge coach Tony Sweet said. "Every time we shot, we were late getting back and they'd already be down the floor."
Country Day coach Kurt Keener injected as many as five new players at a time from a deep bench that outscored the Comets 28-7.
Donnavan Kirk added 13 points for Country Day (5-0), but McCallum's quickness allowed the Yellowjackets to extend their lead.
"Everytime I drove. ... the lanes were wide open,"
said kirk, a junior point guard. "No one stepped up to take a charge so I just attacked."
Sweet said the Comets had hoped to take away McCallum's penetration, but McCallum registered only one foul - and that was on defense.
"He's so quick that he's able to avoid our defensive players so easily,"
Sweet said.
Jon Horford led the Comets with 20 points and eight rebounds.
While many undersized teams in the CAAC Blue are forced to double-team Horford, Country Day was able to assign just one defender to him - alternating between Kirk and 6-foot-11 center DaShonte Riley.
The junior felt that playing against prominent big men like Kirk and Riley will help him improve as the season progresses.
"It's a good opportunity to play a team with that many big men. ... It prepares me to go against other big guys that we play."
Joe Estrada finished with just three field goals but finished with 15 points thanks to a nine-for-11 performance at the free-throw line.
Mason Maurer added 11 points for Grand Ledge (1-2), but also struggled from the field on 3-of-13 shooting. The Comets shot 24 percent as a team from the field.
"I think this will only help,"
Comet guard Tony Wieber said.
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Lee Bailey 3 1-1 7, Urbane Bingham 3 2-2 8, Jordan Dumars 1 2-2 5, Bennie Fowler 2 0-0 4, Chris Fowler 1 0-0 2, Donnavan Kirk 5 3-3 13, Kenny Knight 1 0-0 2, Matthew Leverett 1 0-0 2, Ray McCallum 12 2-2 27, Devon Pyykkonen 1 0-0 3, DaShonte Riley 2 1-2 5, Amir Williams 2 0-0 4.
GRAND LEDGE
Dario Bongiomi 1 1-2 4, Joe Estrada 3 9-11 15, Jon Horford 8 3-6 20, Mason Maurer 3 4-4 11, Dale Robinson 0 3-3 3, Tony Wieber 1 0-0 3.
Country Day 20 19 21 22 -- 82
Grand Ledge 17 8 16 15 -- 56
3-point goals--Dumars 1, McCallum 1, Pyykkonen 1. Bongiomi 1, Horford 1, Maurer 1, Wieber 1. Total Fouls--Detroit Country Day-19, Grand Ledge-11.
