Chick-fil-A Classic | Christ School safe at buzzer

Furious back-and-forth battle against Panthers comes down to final shot

By STEVE WISEMAN - swiseman@thestate.com

Christ School will return to North Carolina undefeated, but it took every last second of Saturday night’s Chick-fil-A Tournament game to ensure it against Pinewood Prep.

In the tournament’s back-and-forth Classic II Bracket championship game, Christ School’s Reggie King gave his team the lead for good with 17.4 seconds to play and the Greenies survived Ryan Steed’s shot that rattled out at the buzzer to win 75-73 at Richland Northeast High.

“These kids are tough,” Christ School coach David Gaines said. “They are just tough.”

The game between the defending private school champions in both Carolinas featured nine players destined to play Division I basketball. South Carolina’s Dave Odom and Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt were among the many college scouts in attendance.

Asheville’s Christ School (14-0) trailed by as many as six points in the first half and was down 59-54 with 7:08 to play when Pinewood Prep’s Milton Jennings, who scored 29 points with 12 rebounds, sank a 3-pointer.

In a game that saw 14 lead changes and three ties in the second half, that lead was not nearly enough to decide the game as Christ Church reeled off eight consecutive points to regain the lead.

Eight more lead changes were in store, however, even though Jennings, named the tournament’s most outstanding player, did not score the rest of the game.

“We kept trying to run guys at him,” Gaines said. “He had success most of the game.”

Ryan Bogdan (13 points) put Pinewood Prep ahead 71-70 on a 3-pointer with 2:22 left. After each team came up empty on two trips up and down the court, Mason Plumlee (17 points) sank two free throws with 41.7 seconds to put Christ School up 72-71.

Ryan Manigault, who scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, tipped in Jennings’ missed 3-pointer with 21 seconds left for Pinewood’s final lead.

But Christ School hustled the ball up the court and King scored inside with 17.4 seconds left for a 74-73 Greenie lead.

Surrounded by 6-11 Mason Plumlee and King, Manigault turned the ball over near his basket with five seconds left and King hit a free throw at the other end.

Steed’s shot at the buzzer just missed.

“Neither team deserved to lose this game,” Gaines said. “We are thankful to get out of here with a win.”

Jennings’ superior play both inside and out allowed the Panthers to grab leads of 20-14 and 31-26 during the first half. Both times Christ School fought back with its transition game to tie or move in front.

Reach Wiseman at 803-771-8472