BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Kiley Channell scored seven of her game-high 14 points in the second quarter to give the Keystone Heights High School girls basketball team a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in a 32-28 win over host Bradford on Jan. 12.
It was a ragged, low-scoring affair in which the teams combined for almost 50 turnovers. The Indians (13-5) would’ve had a bigger cushion if they could’ve improved on their 12-of-26 performance at the foul line.
The first quarter began with seven turnovers before the first points were scored— two free throws by Bradford’s Nichelle Brown approximately two minutes into the game. The first field goal didn’t come until Jada Hankerson knocked down a jumper for the Tornadoes at the 5:07 mark, putting Bradford ahead 4-1.
Keystone went 0-of-4 at the foul line following two consecutive Bradford turnovers. The Tornadoes’ Kah’myra Hankerson then sank a three-pointer to make it a 7-1 game.
It was 8-1 before the Indians finally got their first basket off a rebound putback by Kaitlin Brown with approximately three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Indians’ Yasmin Bryant was fouled shooting a three-pointer with 39 seconds left in the quarter. She missed her first two free-throw attempts, but made the third to send Keystone into the second quarter trailing 8-6.
Keystone went 0-of-3 from the field to start the second quarter before Channell scored off her own steal to even it up at 8-8. That began an 9-0 run.
Channell later came up with another steal and was fouled on her way to the basket. The Indians had gone 2 of 11 at the foul line up to that point, but Channell sank both attempts to put Keystone ahead 10-8.
A Kaitlin Brown steal led to Channell getting put on the foul line again. She made both free throws to put the Indians up by four. Brown then scored off an offensive rebound and was fouled in the process. She made the ensuing free throw to make the score 15-8.
The Tornadoes finally scored when Alysia Rentz grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled on her putback attempt. She made both free throws at the 3:50 mark of the quarter.
Gemma Rodriguez came up with a steal for Bradford and was fouled on a shot attempt. She sank both of her free-throw attempts to make the score 15-12.
After adding two more points on free throws, Keystone got back-to-back three-pointers from Brynn Creekmore and Bryant. Both baskets occurred following steals by Kadence Massey.
Bradford’s Ayanna Pringle scored off an offensive rebound before the end of the half to make the score 23-14.
The Tornadoes scored the first six points of the third quarter. An Ajiyah Jackson steal set up an Ar’Nayshia Griffin basket. Nichelle Brown scored following her own steal and then added another basket when she grabbed a defensive rebound and went the length of the court.
Keystone’s Jaynell Hill scored off an offensive rebound before Bradford’s Brown scored her third basket of the quarter, making the score 25-22.
The Tornadoes turned the ball over on their final four possessions of the quarter, while Channell knocked down a foul-line jumper to send the Indians into the fourth quarter leading 27-22.
Griffin had the first points of the fourth quarter off a rebound putback, but Keystone scored four straight, with Dezaray Bright knocking down a jumper and Channell making two free throws.
It was 31-25 when Griffin went to the foul line for the Tornadoes with 1:54 remaining. She went 1 of 2, but rebounded the miss. Bradford missed three shot attempts before the Indians’ McKinlee Kirkland grabbed a defensive rebound.
Bradford, after a free throw by Keystone’s Bright, missed another three shot attempts before Brown sank a three-pointer before buzzer for the 32-28 final.
The Indians, who won their fourth straight game, got five points from Brown, four points from Bryant, three points each from Bright and Creekmore, two points from Hill and one point from Massey.
Bright grabbed 10 rebounds, while Brown and Channell each had five. Brown and Channell also had four steals each.
Nichelle Brown led the Tornadoes with 12 points, while the team also got five points from Griffin, three points from Kah’myra Hankerson and two points each from Pringle, Rentz, Rodriguez and Jada Hankerson.
Bradford (9-6) entered the game off a 39-26 win at Palatka on Jan. 10. Griffin scored seven of her game-high 15 points in the opening quarter as the Tornadoes built an eight-point lead.
Brown scored six of her 10 points in the third quarter to help Bradford take an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Bradford also got six points from Jackson, four points from Pringle and two points each from Tamani Cray and Jada Hankerson.
