Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights High School scored the first 15 points and rolled to a 59-31 victory over Bradford in a Jan. 25 girls basketball game in Starke.
It was the third straight win for the Indians, who improved to 16-4, while it was the third straight loss for the Tornadoes (7-10).
Keystone forced Bradford into turnovers on its seven possessions. Lindsay Qualls took advantage, scoring the game’s first 10 points, which included six points on two three-pointers.
Kiley Channell also made two shots from beyond the arc as the Indians took a 24-3 lead into the second quarter.
Bernaria Nichols made two three-pointers for Bradford in the second quarter, but the Tornadoes continued to turn the ball over, with Keystone coming up with almost 20 steals in the first half. Bradford turned the ball over on three straight possessions following Nichols’ second three-pointer. The first turnover led to a basket by Madi Mitzel, followed by two straight steals by Yasmin Bryant. Bryant scored off her first steal, with the second setting up another Mitzel basket.
When the first half ended, the Indians held a 37-14 lead, with Qualls having scored 10 points and Bryant and Mitzel having scored nine each.
Bryant made two three-pointers early in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 17 points. Qualls and Channell scored 13 and 12, respectively, while Mitzel had nine. Dezaray Bright had four points, while Emma Rogel and Kasey Valentine each added two.
Santee Blye and Aniyah Carroll did the bulk of the scoring for Bradford, finishing with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Nichols scored six points, while Kimber Woods added two.
Each team concludes the regular season with a home game on Thursday, Jan. 27. The Indians play Baldwin at 5:30 p.m., while the Tornadoes play Williston at 7 p.m.
District-tournament play is next week. Details weren’t known by deadline.
KHHS enters game off 2 straight wins
Prior to playing Bradford, the Indians went on the road to defeat Palatka 47-31 on Jan. 18, while also getting a win at home over Baker County by a score of 39-27 on Jan. 21.
Qualls scored 16 points in the win over Palatka, with Channell and Rogel scoring 11 and 10, respectively. Mitzel had six points, while Bright and Valentine each added two.
Bright and Channell each had nine rebounds and six steals, with Channell also dishing out nine assists. Mitzel had eight rebounds, while Qualls had four steals.
In the Baker County win, Channell scored 10 points, while Bright and Qualls each had six. Valentine and Rachel Roth added five and four points, respectively, while Bryant, Mitzel, Rogel and Riley Barry each had two.
Mitzel and Rogel had 11 and seven rebounds, respectively, with each also coming away with three steals. Rogel also had four assists.
Channell had four assists and five steals, while Roth had four steals. Bryant had three steals.
