Yet, standing about six feet from midcourt with the Bumblebees’ lead dwindling and the third-quarter buzzer about to sound, he heaved a shot toward the basket anyway.
This was, by far, the most difficult shot Kelton had taken all game. But it was one, even with a defender in his face, which Kelton knew he could make.
After all, he practices these bizarre shots just for this kind of opportunity.
“Coming down to the end of the play, you just have make something happen,” he said. “I live for those moments.”
Kelton’s 3-pointer as the third quarter ended helped Academy hold off Rogers’ furious rally and cruise past the Eagles in the fourth quarter to claim a 66-45 win in the Troy Holiday Tournament championship game Wednesday afternoon.
All Kelton and his teammates could do after the shot - which helped the Bees (14-3) once again take a double-digit lead - was laugh.
“He’ll step back from nobody, kind of a little game he plays in practice,” Academy coach Ed Glendening said. “I knew he was going to make it when he did it.”
This game, though, should never have needed a moment like that.
Academy blizted Rogers (8-8) from the opening tip, using a full-court press that forced turnovers that turned into easy baskets.
Three minutes into the game, Kelton’s second 3-pointer gave the Bees their first double-digit lead, which ballooned to as many as 14 points.
Kelton scored five straight baskets during one stretch and had 15 of the Bees’ 24 first-quarter points.
Academy also took advantage of its size in the paint, getting baskets from Kyle Kuban and Corbett McMillian.
A matchup of district rivals hoping to battle for playoff spots when 25-2A play begins this weekend, had quickly turned one sided.
“I told them, ‘We just got to keep playing. We just got to keep playing,’” Rogers coach Shawn Griffin said.
The Eagles climbed back into it by getting four 3-pointers from guard Ryan Fares and attacking the basket, leading to 19 first-half free throw attempts.
Rogers held Academy without a field goal for nearly four minutes in the second quarter and used a 13-4 run to climb within two with 2:39 left in the half.
“We just zoned out,” Kelton said. “We got a big lead in the first quarter and started slacking.”
The Eagles continued to stay close - trimming another double-digit lead to single digits - when the Bees brought the ball up the court for the third-quarter’s final possession, leading by seven.
Kelton hadn’t made a basket since a layup with 1:19 left in the first quarter and the frustration was starting to show on his face.
Yet after missing several shots just a few steps from the basket, he nailed a 3-pointer from 41 feet out to give the Bees a double-digit lead again.
“It was a big momentum swing,” Glendening said.
After climbing within single digits in the second and third quarters, the Eagles had nothing left.
Rogers was outscored 16-5 in the fourth.
“It’s because of our depth . . . that one quarter is always a killer on us,” Griffin said.
Kelton finished with a game-high 20 points and forward Chase Reeders, who was aggressive in the paint, had 12 as all 10 Bees scored.
Fares led the Eagles with 12 points and guard Jordan Sebek added 10.
