The Lady Conchs have worked hard in the last few seasons to rebuild their basketball program, and the fruits of their labor are paying off. For the first time since the 2020-2021 season, Key West’s girls have won back-to-back games, starting with an especially sweet one. Neighboring rival Marathon visited on Dec. 9, and the Conchs pulled off a 46-45 win over the Dolphins.
Lilee Gage and Damarla Thompson scored 13 points each while Raegen Graham added 10 to the total. Colleen Barter scored 5 and pulled down 8 rebounds to overcome the Dolphins for Key West’s first win of the season. The team picked up win No. 2 two on the road against True North on Dec. 11, beating the Titans 29-22 to make it a streak. Thompson led the scoring with 8 points and 14 rebounds. Jasminabonu Ibodilloeva scored 6 and Barter 4 in the win.
In Marathon’s loss to Key West, Daysi Williams scored 15 and Shaina Robinson 12. The Lady Fins went on to lose two more, including a Dec. 11 matchup with St. Brendan. Robinson dropped 16 of the team’s 25 total, then she and Williams combined to score all of the team’s points against Westminster Christian in a Dec. 12 loss to the Warriors. Williams had 15 while Robinson scored 13.
Coral Shores’ girls team split the week, starting with a tough loss to Keys Gate on Dec. 8. Presley Bagwell scored 10 and Melanie Estevez had 7 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in the 70-25 loss. The following night, they hosted Basilica School with a better outcome. Estevez led the charge with 22 points while Julia Miranda added 16. Niveah Howard scored 8 and Kimmie Kearns logged 5 rebounds with London Atkins adding 7 steals and a block in the 58-15 win.
Boys
Key West added two wins to their record, making it three in a row for the Conchs. On Dec. 9, the team hosted Marathon, beating the Dolphins 58-48 behind a strong performance from James Osborne. He registered 24 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals against the Fins, but the senior standout didn’t do it alone. Jaxen Cabrera and Zach Levering added 9 points each, with Levering grabbing 10 rebounds and adding a pair of blocks. The following night at St. Brendan School, Osborne was good for 19, and his 10 rebounds made it his fourth double-double in as many games. Levering also recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Judson Snider added 9 in the 64-62 win.
Marathon endured a week full of challenges, beginning with the loss to Key West and ending with two against district rivals. In Key West, Briggs Roberts had the team high with 11 points while Jack Chapman scored 9, Drew Suarez 8 and Josh Koler 6. Koler pulled down 6 rebounds and had 4 blocks and Chapman had 4 steals in the loss.
Two nights later, the Fins went on a road trip to test their merit against district foes Fort Meade and Moore Haven. Fort Meade beat the Dolphins 56-38 despite solid performances by Chapman, who had 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Roberts, who scored 9 with 8 rebounds. Koler sank 6 before going down with an injury, which hampered the Dolphins against the Miners, but really took its toll the following night when the team took on the Terriers of Moore Haven.
Marathon’s eight-man crew, down one player and hours from home, matched up well against the Terriers, forcing the teams into double overtime. By the final buzzer of the second overtime period, three Fins had fouled out, leaving just four to finish the game, making the 68-62 loss especially frustrating. Chapman was the top scorer again with 19. Suarez scored 18, Giorvis Zamora added 10 and Graham Murphy scored 8.
Coral Shores lost two last week, first to Basilica School in a Dec. 9 home matchup. Sergio Avelar scored 18 points with a pair of steals and Jack O’Keefe put up 12 points, but a tenacious Mariners crew outscored the Hurricanes 58-53. The following night, Coral Shores fell to Somerset South Homestead, and the team’s hopes of ending the three-game slide were cut short when a game against struggling Palm Glades Prep was canceled. The ’Canes will have to wait until after the holiday break to even up their 3-4 record.
Basilica School remains unbeaten after adding three wins to a now 4-0 record. In the first game of the week, the Mariners were able to combine hustle and high energy to overcome the Hurricanes. Alex Bouttier scored 22 points and Noah Wright added another 14 to lead the charge in the intracounty win. On Dec. 12, Basilica paid a visit to Cooper City to take on First Baptist Academy, defeating the Lions 71-19. Bouttier dropped 24 and Jacob Miracle added 9 in the lopsided win. Their next victim, Calusa Prep, proved to be a bit more challenging, but 15 points from Julio Valero, 14 from Wright and another 13 from Miracle helped the Mariners seal the 68-64 victory and secure the team’s unblemished record.
