BY CLIFF SMELLEY
A struggling Keystone Heights High School girls basketball team played four straight bigger schools prior to the holiday break, dropping all four games.
The Class 3A Indians, who have only one win on the season, first played at Class 4A Eastside on Dec. 11, losing 44-26. The Rams held an early 15-5 lead, but back-to-back three-pointers by Riley Shuford made it a four-point game.
Shuford, who finished with 12 points and five steals, made two three-pointers in the fourth quarter to keep the game close until Eastside pulled away.
Kadence Massey added nine points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while Daisy Hubbard had two of the team’s five blocks.
Massey, Shuford and Erabelle Conant each had a blocked shot as well.
Keystone lost 72-39 to 5A Middleburg on Dec. 13, but had a much closer contest in a 30-28 loss to 5A Clay on Dec. 16 in Green Cove Springs.
Hubbard and Massey each had a three-pointer early in the first quarter, while a Hubbard layup put the Indians up 14-11 in the second quarter.
Shuford, who had a three-pointer in the third quarter that gave Keystone a five-point lead, and Hubbard each finished with seven points. Hubbard grabbed six rebounds, while Shuford had four steals.
Rigby Jo Morford had six rebounds.
Shuford drained seven treys in the team’s next game, but the Indians lost 58-43 to visiting 4A North Marion on Dec. 17.
The Colts built a 10-0 lead before Keystone got its first points on a Shuford three-pointer.
Two more shots from beyond the arc by Shuford left the Indians trailing 13-9 in the second quarter.
Three-pointers by Shuford and Massey helped Keystone keep the margin to single digits before North Marion would go on to win by 15.
Shuford finished with 22 points and five rebounds. It was the sixth time she’s had at least three three-pointers in a game.
Massey and Brynn Creekmore each had six points, while Conant grabbed six rebounds to go along with three points and two blocks.
Keystone will host Union County on Friday, Jan. 3, at 6 p.m. The Indians then travel to play North Marion on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m.
