The boys Class 4, District 4 championship basketball game between Lift for Life Academy and Confluence Prep Academy on Wednesday night was March Madness at its finest.
In a game that featured big momentum swings and terrific shot making, Lift for Life outlasted Confluence 79-77 to win the district championship in front of a loud and raucous crowd at Cardinal Ritter College Prep.
Lift for Life (18-10), the No. 1 seed in the district, advances to next
Wednesday’s sectional playoffs where it will face the winner of the St. James-Sullivan District 3 championship game that will be played on Friday night. Confluence finished its season at 14-11.
The Hawks made a surprise run to the Final Four of the Class 3 state tournament last season. They moved up to Class 4 this season and repeated as district champions thanks to senior guard Anthony Caldwell. The smooth 5’9″ lefty calmly swished a 3-pointer from the corner with 23 seconds left to break a 74-74 tie. It turned out to be the game-winning shot. Caldwell has made several clutch 3-pointers over the course of the season, but Wednesday night’s Corner 3 was the biggest.
Junior Odis Grissom added a free throw to give Lift for Life a 78-74 lead, but Korey Lawrence of CPA hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to cut the Hawks’ lead to 78-77. A Rashad Singleton free throw gave Lift for Life a 79-77 lead with five seconds left. CPA had one final possession to tie or win the game with less than a second to play. Senior Trasean White got off an off-balance 3-pointer that hit the front of the rim and bounced high and and just rolled off the rim as time expired.
Caldwell finished with a game-high 21 points to lead the Hawks. He was followed by senior forward Avion Bess with 16 points and Grissom with 13. Trasean White led Confluence with 20 points in the final game of his excellent career at CPA.
White averaged 24 points a game this season and was one of the top guards in the St. Louis area. Korey Lawrence scored 14 points while fellow seniors Kywren Thropes and Jamod Robinson added 12 points each.
