Telegraph Staff Writer
Playing all Class 5A schools, the Class 4A Keystone Heights High School girls basketball team won its first two games before losing 50-21 to Tallahassee Rickards in the Dec. 23 championship game of the Clay Blue Devil Holiday Classic.
The Indians (11-2) got two three-pointers from Kiley Channell in the first quarter and trailed by only three entering the second quarter. Keystone struggled to score throughout the remainder of the game. Rickards (6-3) outscored the Indians 15-4 in the second quarter, with Keystone’s points coming on two free throws each by Channell and Yasmin Bryant.
Leading 28-14, the Raiders pushed their lead to 21, outscoring Keystone 12-5 in the third quarter.
Channell led the Indians with 11 points, while Bryant had four. Jaynell Hill, Madi Mitzel and Lindsay Qualls each added two points.
The final day of the three-day tournament also saw Ponte Vedra (8-4) defeat Ridgeview (7-7) for third place and St. Johns Country Day (9-3) defeat Menendez (9-5) 61-18 in the consolation championship. In the seventh-place game, Bishop Snyder (7-8) beat host Clay (1-10).
Keystone opened the tournament by defeating Clay 47-24 on Dec. 21. Dezaray Bright scored eight of her game-high 16 points in the first quarter as the Indians outscored the Blue Devils 18-2.
Channell scored 11 points, while Emma Rogel and Kasey Valentine had seven and four, respectively. Hill, Mitzel, Qualls and Riley Barry each had two points, while Bryant chipped in one.
The Indians trailed 17-12 at halftime on the second day of the tournament, but rallied to defeat Ridgeview 35-30 on Dec. 22.
Keystone outscored the Panthers 13-6 in the third quarter, getting five points from Channell and four points from Bryant as they took a 25-23 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Indians made 6-of-7 free throws in the final quarter to secure the win.
Channell and Rogel scored nine and eight points, respectively, while Bright and Bryant each had six. Mitzell added four points, while Rachel Roth chipped in two.
Keystone hosts Middleburg on Thursday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. and travels to play Lake Weir on Friday, Jan. 7, at 6:30 p.m. The Indians then host Ridgeview on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m.
