Gray Collegiate beats Oceanside Collegiate again to defend AA boys basketball state title
War Eagles rally from 16-3 deficit to win 44-40
Florence – Gray Collegiate Academy did not get off to a good start in its rematch against Oceanside Collegiate Academy for the AA boys basketball state title on Friday at Florence Center. The War Eagles trailed 11-1 at one point in the first quarter, 11-3 after the first quarter and 16-3 early in the second quarter.
That was territory in which the Eagles seldom trod due to their long-lasting success. Head coach Dion Bethea told his team not to panic.
“It was easy,” Bethea said. “I just told them to breathe and relax, let’s get ourselves together and focus on us. The kids did that.
“They weren’t going to lay down. They knew what was on the line. It was one game, just finish, finish strong. I’m so proud of them.”
Gray rallied to trail just 20-19 at halftime. It was a defensive struggle the rest of the way, and GCA prevailed 44-40 to defend its state title.
Justin Pauling hit a free throw at the 7:09 mark of the first quarter to give Gray a 1-9. The Eagles didn’t score again until Braylhan Thomas scored with 37 seconds left in the quarter.
In between, Oceanside got a basket and a 3-point play from Jake Thomas, a layup by Travis Stickney, a layup by Drew Swyt and a jump hot by Tyrek Dawson to make it 11-1.
When the second quarter started, Carson Jones hit a 3-point shot and tipped in a miss it 16-3 with 5:23 left in the first half.
LJ Britt hit a trey to make it 16-6 and start Gray’s slow rally as it held OCA to four points for the remainder of the half. Britt would later hit another 3, and Braylhan Thomas hit a couple of jump shots to cut the deficit to one at the half.
“Just play hard every play,” Braylhan Thomas said when talking about how he and his teammates rallied. “Every play matters, get that defensive stop. Come down and score, next play come down and get that defensive stop.”
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair with an Abe Davinroy jumper putting the Landsharks up 30-27 with 2:02 to go. A Pauling free throw, a bucket by Darius Carr and a Braylhan Thomas slam dunk made it 32-30 in favor of Gray entering the fourth quarter.
Ty’Quan McDuffie sank a 3-pointer 14 seconds into the final stanza to give GCA a 35-30 lead. The Eagles spent the remainder of the game fending off OCA rallies.
Oceanside made it 35-34 before McDuffie had another trifecta with 5:51 left. Jones put in a 3 to cut the lead back to one 23 seconds left. No one scored again until Carr got loose for a dunk to make it 40-37 with 2:15 to go.
“McDuffie was starting for us at the start of the season before he got injured,” Bethea said. “We stuck with Justin Pauling, but once McDuffie got the opportunity he took advantage of it. He lived in the moment and he made big time plays, and I’m so happy for him. He’s a junior, he’ll be back, and that’s growth.”
Pauling hit a jumper with 1:26 left to up the lead to 42-37 with 1:26 remaining. Oceanside head coach Quinton Hollis said GCA got some big baskets from unusual sources.
“They had two big shots from guys that are not really shooters,” Hollis said. “Those guys stepped up and we gave away a couple of possessions. That’s what basketball is about. You’ve got to value every possession. We let a couple slip away.”
A Stickney trey cut the lead to 42-20 with 1:01 to go. With a foul to give, Oceanside was called for a quick foul. Instead of fouling again though to send Gray to the free throw line, the Landsharks let the clock run down to 14 seconds before fouling Braylhan Thomas. He hit both of them to ice the game.
“You can look at it that way, but in the heat of the moment, we were trying to get them to take a quick shot,” Hollis said of losing the time off the clock. “We just didn’t execute. You can always second-guess “
Thomas led the Eagles with 16 points, going 6-for-6 from the free throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds to go with two steals and two assists.
McDuffie and Britt both had six points off of their 3s. Britt had three steals. Carr, Pauling and Treyvon Maddox had four points apiece.
“We made shots when it counted in the most important parts of the game,” Bethea said. “That’s how we were able to win.”
Jones led Oceanside with 11 points to go with two steals and two assists. Stickney had 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Jake Thomas had nine points and six rebounds.
“I’m super proud of this group,” Hollis said. “I’ve seen them come from being freshmen to see them grow into young men. They get to this big stage every year, and they give everything they’ve got. They play their hearts out. I’m thankful for them. I’m so proud of these guys, win, lose or draw.”
Bethea was proud of the way Thomas rose to the occasion to help GCA get back in the game.
“I told him that great players make great plays,” Bethea said of Thomas, who is the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association's AA Player of the Year. “He stepped up and did everything he was supposed to do as a senior. He left out on a high note. He contributed in a big way and that’s all you can ask.”
Thomas said winning this title was just as sweet as winning the one last year.
“It means a lot.” Thomas said. “It’s the best thing in the world. In the fourth quarter, we said, ‘Stay solid. Let’s win a championship. Let’s get these jugs of water and pour them on our coach.’ “
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