Telegraph Staff Writer
Seth Gagnon and Garrison Teague combined for 35 points in the second half as the Keystone Heights High School boys basketball team turned a five-point game into a 77-52 win over Suwannee on the last day of the Lake Area McDonald’s-Kiwanis of Starke Christmas Tournament at Bradford High School on Dec. 21.
Suwanee (2-9) managed to score one more point than the duo of Gagnon and Teague. Gagnon led all scorers with 31 points, while Teague scored Keystone’s final 15 points and finished with 20 as the Indians (7-5) won for the third time in four games.
Gagnon scored Keystone’s first seven points, including two baskets off offensive rebounds. A Michael Bruzzese three-pointer put the Indians up 12-6, but the Bulldogs answered with a long-distance shot of their own.
The Indians then went on an 8-1 run to close out the first quarter. It started with a basket by Gagnon, who followed that up with a blocked shot on the defensive end. Zeke Pelham’s steal led to a fastbreak dunk by Gagnon to make the margin six points.
After another blocked shot by Gagnon, Connor Guy sank a three-pointer to put the Indians up 19-10. Gagnon added a free throw for the final point of the quarter.
Keystone scored the first seven points of the second quarter, which began with another three-pointer by Guy. Four points by Gagnon put the Indians ahead by 17 points.
Suwannee outscored Keystone 15-3 the rest of the half. The Indians made only one of their final 10 field-goal attempts as the Bulldogs closed the gap to five points entering the break.
Teague helped his team get off to a fast start in the third quarter. His rebound putback following a Darrion Grady steal was the beginning of a 10-2 run. Teague also scored on a layup after receiving a pass from Gagnon and then returned the favor when his assist led to a Gagnon layup. Gagnon was fouled on the play and made the ensuing free-throw attempt. Teague later added a free throw before Grady scored on a layup to put Keystone ahead 40-27.
The Indians continued rolling. Gagnon had two baskets during a 6-0 stretch that also included two technical-foul free throws by Guy. Guy and Bruzzese each made a three-pointer to help the Indians go into the fourth quarter leading 58-35.
Teague had a 15-point fourth quarter. After making a free throw to make the score 63-40, he knocked down a foul-line jump shot off a Cartez Daniels assist. A Gagnon offensive rebound led to another basket by Teague, who went on to add three field goals and two free throws to his totals.
Guy finished with 11 points for the Indians, who also got eight points from Bruzzese, four points from Grady and three points from Bryce Hollingsworth.
Keystone travels to Jacksonville to play Harvest Community on Thursday, Dec. 22, at 2:30 p.m. and will play its first game in 2023 on Friday, Jan. 6, when the Indians travel to play Middleburg at 7:30 p.m.
