On Feb. 15, the varsity boys basketball team hosted North Hall High School from Gainesville, Ga., in the first round of the state playoffs. The game began with a few jitters as the Knights held on to a 3-2 lead resulting in an early timeout. After the timeout, everyone settled down, and the Knights surged ahead to a 15-6 first-quarter lead.  

There was no turning back in the second quarter. The defense created countless turnovers,  resulting in easy baskets for Pace. Juniors Madison Durr and Matthew Cleveland led the assault by finishing at the basket or dishing assists. The Knights were up  44-11 at halftime.   

The defense continued to remain focused in the second half, and sophomore Josh Reed joined the offensive onslaught with two 3-point field goals. Cleveland and Durr continued to stay in attack mode, which pushed the lead even further. With the game in hand, all 14 Knights gained state-playoff experience. Sophomore Matthew Aronson connected on three straight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to seal the 80-37 victory. Next up for the Knights is Beach High School out of Savannah in a Sweet Sixteen match-up on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the Inman Center.   

Key Performers:

Matthew Cleveland: 22 pts, 8 asst, 6 stls

Josh Reed: 14 pts

Madison Durr: 13 pts, 6 asst, 4 stls

Matthew Aronson: 9 pts