Gray Collegiate and W.J. Keenan now compete in different classifications.

The rivalry forged in 2 seasons together in the same region remained evident Monday before a packed house at Eau Claire High School. The 2 teams got together for the finale of the 4th annual Martin Luther King Bash with the Raiders coming out on top 62-57.

Asanti Price scored 24 points in earning Player of the Game honors for W.J. Keenan. Teammate Dillon Jones added 12 points and 9 rebounds as the Raiders used a 38-24 advantage under the boards to outscore the War Eagles 39-34 in the second half.

“Anything you lose a big guy like Mike Morrison...you’ve got to pick up in some of those areas,” Gray Collegiate head coach Dion Bethea said. “The guys are getting better every day, so we’ve got to continue to keep working all we can.”

The Raiders took a 37-30 lead in the second half, only to gave Gray Collegiate respond with 7 unanswered points. Tommy Bruner led the comeback charge with 5 of his team-high 20 points during the run.

Even as W.J. Keenan extended their lead as many as 9, Bruner helped to keep the War Eagles within striking distance. Down the stretch, a missed layup, 2 missed free throws and an intential foul resulting in 2 W.J. Keenan free throws proved costly for Gray Collegiate.

“Keenan always makes it difficult for us,” Bethea said. “But, I love the way the guys competed. They didn’t give up and they played hard.”

Monday’s contest ended a 3-game, 4-night stretch for the War Eagles, whose lone win came on the same floor 2 nights earlier against Region 3-2A foe Eau Claire.

Gray Collegiate travels to Columbia on Friday.

“We’ve got to get  back in the lab and execute,” Bethea said. “We’ve got to be more creative and get more out of Tommy and Khalil (Robinson) left.”