Harris Reynolds had a three-word message for his team when he fouled out of Class 4A’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown Wednesday night.
The 4-star guard and Clemson signee had been the most dominant player on a talent-stacked floor all night. Reynolds dazzled St. Pius’ sellout crowd — which flooded out of the bleachers and into the corners of Mark Kelly Gymnasium — with a 38-point night that had the Golden Lions leading North Oconee 65-55 with 2:34 left.
All the undefeated No. 1 team had to do was finish the win.
“Just stay focused,” Reynolds said he told the team as he reached the bench. “I knew they could do it, and they got it done. Just stay focused.”
Focus was key, indeed, as St. Pius finished off the two-time defending state champion Titans at the free-throw line. Senior Westin Keppen shot 5-of-6 from the line in the game’s last minute to seal a 72-64 win.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
The Golden Lions advanced to their first final four since 2018 and are two wins away from the program’s first state championship.
It’s the final chance for Reynolds’ class — which has played together at St. Pius since the seventh grade — to make history with a 33-0 season. The Lions will battle Jonesboro at 7 p.m. Saturday for a chance to play for that elusive state title.
“This is crazy,” Reynolds said as St. Pius fans continued to mob him after the win. “Last year, we didn’t have the best season, so coming back and doing this, it’s amazing.”
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Reynolds avenged last season’s disappointing finish in the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday. The 6-foot-5 senior dropped 38 points in a 96-72 win over Union Grove, the team that eliminated St. Pius in the same round last season.
Reynolds, who faced off against Clemson recruiting target and North Oconee star Justin Wise for much of the game, found ways to score at all three levels. Reynolds drained two 3-pointers in an 11-point first quarter, helping St. Pius take an early 16-12 advantage.
Then Reynolds showcased his ability to attack the paint, drawing — and scoring through — plenty of contact. Reynolds’ alley-oop dunks highlighted a performance that included 14-of-15 shooting from the free-throw line.
“He’s so selfless, and also, he’s a killer, man,” St. Pius coach Will Cloyd said. “He will have no regard for putting the boot on your throat and finishing the deal. That’s what makes him a great player.”
St. Pius especially appeared to lean on Reynolds as North Oconee sparked a comeback push. The Golden Lions led 50-33 with less than two minutes in the third quarter when Wise and the Titans finally found a rhythm.
North Oconee finished the quarter on an 8-0 run and carried the momentum into the final eight minutes. The Titans scored 23 points in the fourth quarter and came within five points of the lead several times, but Reynolds never let them get closer.
North Oconee’s final push came right before Reynolds fouled out. The Titans trailed 60-55 when St. Pius forced a turnover and Reynolds raced down the court, quickly taking a 62-55 lead on a transition layup.
Reynolds tried to go up for another shot in the paint on the next possession, but one of the three defenders around him blocked it. The senior grabbed the rebound and kicked the pass out to a wide-open Max Etienne, who drained a devastating 3-pointer as the home crowd erupted.
Reynolds fouled out moments later, but the damage had been done.
Cloyd was frustrated with the foul call that took Reynolds off the floor, but he remembered the vocal leadership from his senior.
“It really was about just not focusing on the negative,” Cloyd said. “We’re up. Let’s go win. Don’t get so down that we lose focus.”
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