Keenan boys used third-quarter spurt to defeat Chester, move on to 3A championship
Keenan got a tougher challenge from Chester than the team’s earlier two matchups but it ended with the same result – a Raiders victory.
The Raiders used a strong third quarter to defeat the Cyclones, 70-55, in the Class 3A Upper State championship Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Keenan will play Ridgeland-Hardeeville on March 2 at Colonial Life Arena for the Class 3A title.
It was Keenan’s third win over Chester this season. The Raiders won 83-65 on Jan. 8 and 70-49 on Jan. 29.
But this one was a lot closer at least for the first half. Chester led by as many as seven in the first half before Keenan rallied to take a 32-30 lead at halftime. During the intermission, Keenan coach Zach Norris challenged his team and it responded in a big way.
The Raiders outscored the Cyclones 25-9, in the third and never looked back.
“We had to get back to basics,” Norris said. “I challenged them and asked them where their heart was. Where is the pride in the blue and the gold? They came out and you can see it in their faces. They really wanted it in the second half.”
Junior Dillon Jones thought Keenan didn’t play loose in the first half and said Norris’ message really hit home with the guys in the locker room. After halftime, the Raiders turned up the intensity defensively and got on the floor for loose balls, something Norris said didn’t happen in the first two quarters.
“He just reminded us we had to come out and play hard,” Jones said. “In the first half, we were just getting used to the moment when we lost here last year. And our third quarter was our best quarter because we relaxed.”
Asanti Price led Keenan with 23 points and Jones had 16. Raekwon Horton and Q’Dardius Sanders each had 10.
Now, the Raiders have a chance to win their first state title since 2015. Keenan lost in the 2A Upper State title game last season to Gray Collegiate and in the 2017 championship to Burke. Jones said he had pictures of those losses put in the locker room as motivation and wanting to get back to the title game.
“I wanted a reminder for our guys that we got to persevere and get back. We wanted to come in every day and play with a purpose and get back to this moment,” Jones said.
“They said coach we are going to get back there,” Norris said. “The main thing was them getting along and chemistry because we had all the tools. And I think we have done that.”
Dorrien Bagley led Chester with 12. The Cyclones were making their first state semifinal appearance since 2008.
K: Dasant 4, Dillon Jones 16, Asanti Price 23, Q. Sanders 10, Raekwon Horton 10, Taylor 7. C: McClurkin 5, Dorrien Bagley 12, Hall 4, Carter 2, Jordan Coleman 10, Brown 5, Bailey 2, Leon Goldsborough 10, Mobley 5.
This story was originally published February 23, 2019 at 5:46 PM.
