Westin Keppen didn’t hesitate when he got the pass on the left side. The senior squared himself up and fired away, just as he’s done hundreds of times. Only this one was for a state championship.
Westin’s shot hit nothing but net and paved the way for St. Pius to defeat Pace Academy 54-51 in the Class 4A championship game at the Macon Coliseum. The 3-pointer helped the Golden Lions finish the season 33-0 – the only unbeaten team in Georgia – and bring home the first state title in school history.
“I mean, it was huge,” Keppen admitted. “I just did what I did. I do what I do. I just stayed confident in myself and got it done.”
Coach Will Cloyd said, “He is so incredibly tough. You love it for any kid like that when it works out, especially making a shot like that in that situation. This is something he’s prepared his whole life for, and I felt good as soon as he got it out of his hand.”
The 3-pointer gave St. Pius a 52-49 lead with 41.2 seconds remaining. Pace Academy got back to within a point when Jaydon Avery hit two free throws, but St. Pius reestablished a three-point lead when Harris Reynolds made two free throws with 11.7 seconds left.
Pace rushed the ball past midcourt and called its final timeout with 6.6 seconds, plenty of time to set up a tying shot. Avery, the team’s hottest 3-point shooter for the night, inbounded to Brian Clark, who slipped but still managed to fire off a contested shot that missed. Reynolds grabbed the rebound as time expired to secure the win.
“It’s kind of odd because we haven’t had a lot of close games,” Cloyd said. “I think that’s only our third win by single digits all season. But I’ve seen them do this before. They’ve done it their whole lives. They’ve always responded, not just with good play but with togetherness. They’ve been able to stay together through incredible adversity.”
The win set off a celebration that reverberated throughout the boisterous student sections and onto the floor, where former St. Pius coach Mark Kelly – whose name is emblazoned on the school’s court – embraced athletic director Joe McCurdy and Father Robbie Cotta in a tear-filled group hug.
“This feels amazing,” Keppen said. “This is something I’ve never felt before. It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid.”
St. Pius got 23 points, nine rebounds and two blocks from Clemson signee Reynolds, who played most of the final quarter with four fouls. Keppen scored 13 with three 3-pointers and three assists. D’Marley Elliott had 12 rebounds.
Pace Academy (24-8) got 19 points from Avery, 11 points and 14 rebounds from Hayden Clay and 10 points and seven rebounds from Gavin Fountain.
St. Pius took a 13-10 lead after one quarter when Reynolds hit a corner jumper at the buzzer. The Golden Lions scored the final nine points of the second period and grabbed a 28-18 lead at the half when Reynolds drove around two defenders to score on a dunk at the horn. Reynolds had 11 points and six rebounds at halftime.
St. Pius still held a 10-point lead after layup by Rogers with 2:23 left in the third when Pace called a timeout. The Knights then whittled the lead to three before Reynolds scored with two seconds left to carry a 38-33 lead in the fourth quarter.
Box score and stats
St. Pius – 13-15-10-16--54
Pace Academy – 10-8-15-18--51
St. Pius: Thomas Rogers 8, Harris Reynolds 23, Max Etienne 4, D’Marley Elliott 6, Westin Keppen 13.
Pace Academy: Jaydon Avery 19, Brian Clark 8, Hayden Clay 11, Gavin Fountain 10, Henry Dickert 3.
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