Keenan takes down Gray Collegiate in matchup of top-ranked programs

Asanti Price definitely has found a home at Keenan.

The senior transfer poured in a game-high 24 points and made a couple huge shots down the stretch to help Keenan defeat Gray Collegiate on Monday in the marquee matchup of the Crescent Construction MLK Bash at Eau Claire High School, where Price played his previous three seasons.

“I have been working on my shooting a lot, so now it is second nature,” Price said. “It is very special to play for Keenan and coach (Zach) Norris. Coach Norris is very hands on, and it is very special to play for him.”

The 6-foot-5 Price averaged 16 points a game last season at Eau Claire but transferred to Keenan over the summer. But in late July, he announced he was heading to Combine Academy in Charlotte, N.C. That lasted only a few months, and he was back at Keenan in November just before the start of the regular season.

The addition of Price gives Keenan the outside shooting presence to compliment guys like Dillon Jones, Raekwon Horton and Latrell Taylor. Those players do a good job of driving to the basket and draw defenders to them, leaving Price with good looks at the basket.

“You got Dillon who can play in the paint, Raekwon is coming into his own so Asanti is just the fitting piece right there,” Norris said. “He brings another dimension to our team. Teams can’t double team and slack off. He floats around so much and people leave him open. It just takes but a split second and he can shoot the rock.”

Horton added 16 for Keenan and Jones had 12 points and 13 rebounds, most coming in the second half after he got in foul trouble in the first half.

It was just Keenan’s second win in eight tries over Gray Collegiate over the past three years. The Raiders defeated the War Eagles in 2017 Class 2A Upper State title, but Gray returned the favor last season on its way to its first state title.

“We been waiting on this one for about a whole year now since the semifinals last year,” Norris said of Gray. “But Gray has a good team, and they always come to play. It was a good test for our guys.”

The near-capacity crowd definitely got what they came to see in the matchup, which the No. 1 ranked team in 3A (Keenan) and 2A (Gray Collegiate).

The game was tied at halftime 37-37 with seven minutes left after Gray Collegiate’s Tommy Bruner hit a jumper. But Keenan answered with a pair of Price jumpers to make it 48-43 with 4:18 left.

Price hit another big shot to stretch it to 55-48 with 1:33 left. Gray cut it to 56-50 and had two chances to get closer but missed a pair of free throws and a layup with less than a minute left.

“Zach does a great job with his guys, and we needed that,” Gray Collegiate coach Dion Bethea said. “We got to do a better job of rebounding the basketball and moving the ball a little more. … we just got to continue to get better and get ready for the next one.”

Bruner led Gray with 20 points, 18 coming in the second half. Dallaz Corbitt added 12 and Khalil Robinson 11.

Keenan 62, Gray Collegiate 57

K: Dillon Jones 12, Asanti Price 24, Sanders 4, Raekwon Horton 16, Morris 6. GC: Tommy Bruner 20, Khalil Robinson 11, Rivers 5, Dallaz Corbitt 12, DeLoach 6, Gortman 3.

Ridge View 70, Cardinal Newman 50

RV: Crosby Harris-James 19, Walyn Napper 11, Cincere Scott 12, Benson 8, Wilson 6, Bynum 4, Mckie 6, Mckenny 2. CN: Earle 2, Chico Carter 12, Joshua Beadle 14, Tucker 5, Thomas Tyler 11, White 1, Flemming 3, Christie 2.

Blythewood 87, Hartsville 67

H: Trae Hannibal 22, Pendergrass 7, Chapman 9, Cesare Edwards 10, Cuffie 6, Blue 3, Harry 4, Carraway 1, Barr 3, Gattison 2. B: Tre Jackson 33, Julian Phillips 14, Range 6, Hardy 5, I. Williams 2, Moore 3, M. Williams 3, Manuel 8, Travis Thompson 13.

Wilson 63, Lakewood 52

L: Richardson 4, Quentin Hodge 10, Stevens 7, Andino 9, Juwan Perdue 18, Carmack 2, Melton 2. W: Hines 2, Darius Boatwright 23, Allen Williamson 16, Gibson 5, Brackett 8, Robinson 2, Zimmerman 2, Bellentine 5.

Lower Richland 78, Cheraw 39

C: Reggie Davis 10, Coit 2, Gillespie 4, Gordon 4, McIver 4, Sanders 1, Jackson 1, Dixon 8, Gainey 3, Bowen 2. LR: Dajon Townsend 10, Melvin Archie 18, Kinney 1, Flood 4, Hicks 8, Clinton 3, Richardson 5, Anthony Huff 10,

AC Flora 79, Newberry 50

N: Chalmers 6, Wise 4, Willis 9, Paul 7, Cromer 8, Ny Downing 10, Hughes 4, Wilmore 2. ACF: DJ Sinkler 22, Mobley 5, Butler 4, Robert McCrary 15, Greene 4, Jamison 8, Riley 6, Moore 3, Iriel 5, Gibson 2, Swan 3, Rogers 2.

This story was originally published January 21, 2019 at 8:35 PM.