Telegraph Staff Writer
Dezaray Bright and Yasmin Bryant combined to score 14 first-quarter points as the Keystone Heights High School girls basketball team built a 14-point lead and went on to defeat Williston 41-33 to cap the Indians’ fifth-annual Winter Shootout on Nov. 20.
Branford and HEART HomeSchool were also part of the tournament in which Keystone went 2-0 to improve its overall record to 3-0.
Bright, who had 32 total points in the Indians’ two games, was named to the all-tournament team. She also won the event’s three-point contest.
The Indians, who were playing without starter Kiley Channell, scored the first seven points against Williston, with Bryant sinking a three-pointer for the game’s first points. Lindsay Qualls had a backcourt steal and later scored off an offensive rebound to put Keystone up 5-0 before Bryant scored off her own backcourt steal.
Bryant later made another three-pointer, while Bright scored off two backcourt steals. Bright also made two technical free throws to close out the first quarter with an 18-4 Keystone lead.
Bright had two baskets in the second quarter as the Indians took a 24-13 lead into halftime.
Madi Mitzel had four points during a brief span in the third quarter as Keystone built a 37-21 lead. She made a steal on the defensive end and was later fouled shooting after grabbing an offensive rebound. Mitzel made both free throws to make the score 32-19. She added a basket in transition, while Bryant drained another long-distance shot to make it a 16-point game.
Bright led the Indians with 14 points, while Bryant finished with 13. Qualls had six points, with Mitzel and Emma Rogel each chipping in four.
Keystone opened the tournament with a 44-26 win over Branford.
It was just a three-point game going into the second quarter, but one point off a free throw was all Branford managed in the second quarter as the Indians went into halftime leading 17-5.
Bright scored eight points in the third quarter and finished with 18 while Bryant just missed double digits with nine points.
Rogel scored five points, while Mitzel and Qualls each had four. Rachel Roth and Kasey Valentine each added two points.
HEART was victorious in the tournament’s other two games, defeating Williston 50-25 and Branford 55-32.
Prior to the Winter Shootout, Keystone opened the regular season with a 51-37 win over host Baldwin on Nov. 15.
Bright and Channell each scored seven points in the first half as the Indians took a lead into halftime. Baldwin made five three-pointers in the third quarter to take a slim lead, but the fourth quarter, which featured nine points from Channell, was almost all Keystone.
Channell and Bright had 22 and 14 points, respectively, followed by Mitzel with six points and Rogel with five. Qualls and Rexi Lewis each added two points.
Keystone travels to play Middleburg on Monday, Nov. 29, at 6:30 p.m. The Indians then travel to play Ridgeview on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m.
