DALTON, Ga. - For a moment, the standing-room-only crowd in Christian Heritage School's gym grew eerily silent as Zach Gentry's 3-point shot hit the back of the rim and went skyward.
A second later, the home fans erupted as the ball fell through the net, turning around a two-point deficit against Mount Vernon Presbyterian in the final minute of their GHSA Class A private school state tournament game Thursday night.
The top-seeded Lions (27-2), with the lead regained for the first time in the final quarter, then clamped down defensively to win the second-round matchup 52-50. They will host Holy Innocents' either Tuesday or Wednesday in next week's quarterfinals.
Also in the state quarterfinals are the Christian Heritage girls, who began the night's doubleheader with a 60-47 win over Athens Academy. The Lady Lions will travel to Holy Innocents'.
"It just goes back to the players," said Lions coach Tyler Watkins, whose team had a first-round bye because of its seed. "Mount Vernon did a great job of taking away some of our guys. They are very athletic and so well-coached.
"Zach Gentry's 3 - we didn't draw that up, he just hit it. They've earned this by all the hard work they have put in for the past four years."
The taller Mustangs (18-11) - the 24-team bracket's No. 16-seeded team beat No. 17 Mount Pisgah 67-58 in the first round to set up Thursday's meeting - controlled play inside for most of the game, especially when Christian Heritage big man Christian Koneman was saddled with two quick fouls. That allowed twin towers Cameron Bennett and Tahj Keeton to get layups and putbacks as Mount Vernon led early.
A.J. Kent scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the first half for Christian Heritage, but Keeton had 18 as the teams went to the locker room at halftime tied at 29.
The Lions opened the second half on an 8-0 run, with Kent scoring on back-to-back possessions, but the Mustangs' Morgan Mulrain hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final two minutes, and Christian Heritage's lead was just one point entering the final period.
Marques Frye hit a layup with a minute to play to give the visitors from Atlanta a 48-46 lead, but on the next possession Gentry, who had been chased the entire game, found himself open on the left elbow.
With the crowd collectively on its feet, he let fly.
"I loved the bounce; the bounce was everything," Gentry said. "I've never heard this gym be that loud after it went through. They face guarded me most of the game, but we knew that would happen. We just had to move and set screens to get open."
The Mustangs missed a pair of open 3-point attempts, but after a second offensive rebound Kent made a steal after Koneman tipped a pass. Kent made one of two free throws to push the Lions' lead to two. Frye then had a chance to tie on the other end from the foul line but missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Koneman grabbed the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws to ice the game with 15 seconds to play.
"They are long, extremely athletic, and they play very hard," Watkins said of the Mustangs. "We were finally able to figure it out, but it was a battle. I'm just so excited for them, our school and our community. Now it's on to the Elite Eight."
In the girls' win, Emily Idom scored 18 points, including 10 in the first half, and Kelsey Schneller had 10 of her 16 points in the second quarter as the eighth-seeded Lady Lions (22-6) turned around a two-point deficit to take a 35-23 lead at halftime.
Athens Academy (24-5), the bracket's No. 9 seed, never got closer.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.