On the night Gatewood sophomore Matt Allen surpassed the 1,000-point mark, it took double overtime for the Gators to get past Trinity Christian with a 75-70 win that boosted them to a 14-2 overall record and ranked first overall in GISA Class AA Region 2 standings.
“It’s the most exciting game I’ve ever been a part of here, really,” Gatewood head coach Don Keiser declared immediately after winning at home Saturday night. “Two good teams and we split. We got beat at their house (89-72 at Dublin last month) and we split last year. We didn’t have to see them at state, but they were defending state champions, so this was just a huge win for us. I’m just so proud of our boys, all the boys.”
Trinity led 16-9 after the first quarter and 33-27 at halftime, then held a 45-42 advantage after three quarters, although the Gators won the quarter 15-12. in GISA Class AA Region 2 standings.
With just five points apiece in the first overtime, nothing was settled, so a second 5-minute period was required, and the Gators took control quickly. They eventually put another 13 points on the board to Trinity’s eight for the 75-70 final.
Allen finished the night with 32 points and a milestone accomplishment, while Kaden Keiser and Trey Wiggins each contributed 12 points to the cause, with Wiggins also getting a double-double with 13 rebounds. Blake Callaway was third in scoring with nine points and what the coach called “an amazing 19 rebounds.”
“It was just a full team game and just a fun win,” Keiser said. “And I want to mention, too, about how incredible our student section was in our crowd. They were definitely the sixth man today. They knew exactly what was on the line.”
The win over Trinity was the second of back-to-back victories for Gatewood after beating the visiting Augusta Prep Day Cavaliers Friday night. That game was never in doubt for the Gators as they held a 37-15 lead at halftime, then doubled their score over the second half for a 74-44 win. Allen was again the top scorer at 37, which included seven 3-point shots, followed by Kaden Keiser at 10 points, with Callaway, Wiggins, and Adam Harvey each contributing nine points on the night.
But with a sizable lead going into the final quarter, Keiser gave the starters a rest, and his freshman and backup players got some time on the court, too.
“To me, the defense was so good tonight,” he said Friday night. “The middle pressed, everybody was covering the middle, so I thought everybody I put in did a good job tonight.”
Gatewood also played last Tuesday night against First Presbyterian Day in Macon, where the Gators fell 76-64 for just their second loss this season.
Keiser said he felt like nothing went well despite holding a very slim lead at halftime.
“We had gone up by five, but they cut our lead down to just one point by the half. But just nothing went our way. We never got into our flow,” he said. “And that’s a big gym, too, and I think that might’ve affected our shooting. But really, we just couldn’t get anything going.”
Update on the Lady Gators
Gatewood’s Lady Gators played all three days last week, too, with mixed results after dropping their Tuesday match in Macon 47-25 against First Presbyterian Day, then scoring a dominant 63-16 victory Friday night at home over Augusta Prep Day.
Saturday afternoon they delivered a 61-54 defeat to the Gatewood girls by the visiting Trinity Christian Lady Crusaders, leaving the Lady Gators with a 9-9 record so far this season.