Gray boys outlast Keenan to reach 2A state championship game in basketball
Gray Collegiate used a big comeback to keep its state championship hopes alive on Friday.
The War Eagles rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Keenan, 72-66, in the Class 2A Upper State championship game at Bob Jones University.
Gray Collegiate will play sister school Oceanside Collegiate in the state championship game March 3 at USC Aiken. It is the War Eagles’ fifth state championship appearance in the past six seasons.
“I kind of felt we came out flat,” Gray coach Dion Bethea said. “And they guys came out and responded. We came out, played hard and executed.”
This was the third meeting of the year between the two Region 4-2A rivals, who have played their share of memorable games over the past eight years. The two teams split in the regular season with each team winning on the road.
Keenan, which defeated Gray in the 2017 Upper State championship, dominated the first half and led 37-25 with 6:47 left. That’s when Gray’s comeback started.
The War Eagles closed the quarter on a 25-9 run and Class 2A Player of the Year Montravis White hit a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left in the third to put the War Eagles up 50-46.
White finished with 23 points, 20 coming in the second half and hit four 3-pointers.
Gray Collegiate got big contributions from Mychael Mitchell and LJ Britt. Mitchell scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half and it was his best performance since his 18-point performance against Lancaster at the Cayce Roundball Classic in December.
Mitchell went into cardiac arrest at the end of the first meeting with Keenan on Jan. 17. He missed two games following that and he was definitely a spark, especially on defense.
“This means a lot,” Mitchell said. “My teammates have been encouraging me every day. And that is where it starts in practice.”
Britt also added 12 points with 10 coming in the second half. He hit a big 3-pointer in the third quarter to get the War Eagles within 44-43.
Chrisean Oree led Keenan with 19 points and Jaylen Golston added 14 for the Raiders, who finished the season 18-11.
“I think in the second half we didn’t come out with the same intensity and effort that we did in the first half,” Zach Norris said. “And we didn’t execute like we wanted to do. And Gray picked up their emotions and effort than we did.”
GCA: Trai White 23, Johnson 4, Mychael Mitchell 12, Parker 8, Braylhn Thomas 10, Pauling 3, LJ Britt 12.
K: Jaylen Golston 14, Chrisean Oree 19, Sumpter 4, Anderson 5, King 8, Elam 7, Robinson 2, McCullough 7
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 5:13 PM.
