Pace Falls to Whitefield in Regular Season Finale

Pace Academy fell 69-52 to a talented Whitefield Academy team on Saturday evening, behind 18 points from Kennard Blackman. Pace’s senior guard Josh Swan led all scorers with 30 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a horrific performance from the free-throw line for the Knights.

Whitefield jumped out to an early lead behind Kenneth Gaines, Tekele Cotton and Blackman, who combined for 17 points in the first quarter. The Wolfpack used their size advantage to get several easy baskets inside, so Pace coach Demetrius Smith responded with a bigger lineup in the second quarter, featuring 6-foot-7-inch center Connor Perkey and 6-foot-4-inch forward Tony Papadopolous. Perkey’s presence in the lane improved the Knights’ defense, and Papadopolous was effective on the glass, but Whitefield still managed to extend the lead to 34-20 by halftime.

Gaines picked up his third foul with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter and was sent to the bench in order to avoid picking up his fourth.  The momentum shifted and the Knights cut the lead to 10 points, 44-34. It looked like Pace was setting the stage for a fourth quarter comeback, but Gaines re-entered the game and hit a key three pointer to stretch the lead back to 13. He followed that shot with three more field goals, scoring nine points in a span of just over two minutes. That put the game out of reach for Pace, which found itself trailing 53-36 as the quarter came to a close.

Despite the large lead, Whitefield managed to make the fourth quarter interesting. Gaines’ night ended at the 5:34 mark after he picked up his fourth and fifth fouls over a 79 second span. That sequence also placed Pace in the double-bonus, guaranteeing two foul shots for the rest of the game any time the whistle blew against Whitefield.

With 4:15 remaining, Blackman scored a basket in the lane to give the Wolfpack a 63-47 lead, then was called for a technical foul after saying something to one of the officials. Whitefield’s coaching staff objected to the call, so the official cited them for a technical as well. The two technicals resulted in four consecutive free throw attempts for Pace, and a chance to make a final run at Whitefield while there was still time left on the clock. But Pace proceeded to miss all four free throws, and Whitefield maintained its 16-point advantage.

Pace ended the night  15-for-39 from the free throw line, while Whitefield was 13-for-24. Gaines scored 17 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Cotton, who recently committed to play for Wichita State, added 13. No Pace player posted double figures other than Swan.

Pace (21-3) and Whitefield (22-3) finish the season undefeated in their respective regions. Pace will host the Region 5-A tournament next week, while Whitefield (22-3) will host the Region 9-A tournament.