ROCK HILL, S.C. – Christ School players and coaches have openly talked about their aspirations to be one of the last basketball teams standing in the NCISAA 4-A state playoffs.
Games like Saturday make that path look entirely negotiable.
The Greenies were locked in a tight second half with Dorman (S.C.) and fought for 21 of their points in the fourth quarter of a 52-45 win.
Point guard Keenan Wilkins ’24 matched this season high with 20 points to be named MVP of the game between undefeated varsity teams, which was part of the Battle at the Rock showcase. Anthony Robinson '23 and Bryson Cokley '24 scored eight points each. Jamari Briggs '24 chipped in seven points, Lleyton Thomas-Johnson '24 had five, and Emanuel Richards '24 contributed four.
“We were able to maintain our mental toughness tonight and the guys showed they are competitors. We’ve got resolve,” Coach Josh Coley said.
“Coming back from Thanksgiving, we only had 2-3 practices before we jumped into a three-game week, with this being the third game. If we want to obtain our goal and be one of the last teams standing in February, then we've got to learn to win games like this. It will feel like this."
Coach Coley is in his second year at Christ School. His first team never really got to realize its full potential after starting point guard Donavon Fitzgerald ‘22 went down with an early-season knee injury. That group still went on to win 16 games and reach the NCISAA quarterfinals. The Greenies (8-0) are currently halfway to that wins total after Saturday.
Dorman is one of the top programs in South Carolina, having won 5-A state championships in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 before a state runner-up season in 2021. The Cavaliers dropped to 5-1 with Saturday’s loss.
The Christ School Athletic Department would like to thank Will Huffman ‘82 and Geddings Crawford ‘81, who hosted a lunch for the boys prior to Saturday's game. The Greenies play next on Tuesday at J.L. Mann (S.C.), a JV/Varsity doubleheader that tips off at 5:30 p.m.