This past week’s most anticipated top 10 boys matchup was played on Friday as Region 5 rivals Pace Academy and McDonough met for the first time this season. Both teams headed into this matchup with undefeated region records and undefeated records within Class 4A. Pace Academy hosted Friday’s clash and then the action moves to McDonough on Jan. 27. The result was McDonough pulling out a 63-59 victory and stamping its seventh-straight victory and improving to 18-2 overall. The visiting Warhawks jumped out to a 26-14 lead after the first quarter and went into the half with a 35-26 lead. McDonough preserved its nine-point lead after the third to hold on to a 49-40 lead and then closed out the four-point victory.
McDonough’s Keenan Gray led the Warhawks with a game-high 18 points and junior Zion Greene finished with 17 points. 6-foot-9 junior Nathadeus Fambro added 11 points and went 5-of-5 shooting from the field. Gray added eight assists with just one turnover and McDonough won despite just taking eight trips to the foul line (5-of-8) and Pace Academy attempting 23 total free-throws (12-23). Pace Academy was also cold from beyond the arc and connected on just 1-of-12 attempts, while McDonough finished 6-of-20 from three-point range. Pace Academy was led in scoring by Eric Chatfield (15), MJ Madison (15), Lamar Moore (11), Chandler Bing (10) and Kyle Greene (8).