Khaleel Pratt scored 27 points to lead Augusta Christian to a 71-60 road win over Cardinal Newman Tuesday. The victory avenged Augusta Christian’s loss to the same team two Fridays ago. And it earned the Lions a share of the top spot in the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) Class 4A, Region 1 standings. Pratt made four three pointers and all 9 of his free throws in the best performance by a high school player that this reporter has seen in years.
The 6’5” guard made 3 of his three pointers in the first quarter as part of a 12-point outburst that helped the Lions take a 20-10 lead into the second quarter. Pratt then had to sit for the entire second quarter because of foul trouble. The Lions held serve and led 33-23 at halftime.
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Pratt then returned for the second half and scored another 15 points while Augusta Christian fought off a frantic run by Cardinal Newman. The home team cut what was a 46-29 third quarter lead for Augusta Christian to 50-49 early in the fourth quarter before the Lions pulled away.
When Pratt wasn’t playing every spot on the floor on offense, he was holding Cardinal Newman’s 6’7” center Elton Smith Jr. to zero points and grabbing every difficult rebound on defense.
Fellow juniors Braylen Smith (14 points), Troy Booker (14) and Andrew Bell (9) also made invaluable contributions for the Lions, who made 10 three pointers and 18 out of 20 free throw attempts as a team.
Bonus Coverage: Cross Creek blitzes Harlem in second half
No. 7 Cross Creek outscored Harlem 37-15 in the second half to erase a 7-point halftime deficit and earn a 70-55 win at home over the Bulldogs. Dontrel Smith scored 22 points, including 6 three pointers. Antoine Lorrick and Jayden Priester each added 16 for the Razorbacks, who improved to 6-0 in Class 3A, Region 4.
Follow Chad Cook’s coverage of local sports on Facebook and Instagram at @AugustaPressSports, and on Twitter at @AugPressSports.
