Powerful Scots down the Conchs

The Key West High boys basketball team played the second-ranked 5A team in the state evenly for three quarters, but it was the second period that was the Conchs’ downfall in a 72-60 loss to St. Andrew’s Wednesday night at the Bobby Menendez Gym.

The undefeated visitors from Boca Raton (18-0 after beating Marathon Thursday) outscored the Conchs 27-11 in the second to take a 45-29 lead at halftime. After that, the Conchs never got close to the Scots, whom Max Preps ranks 16th overall in Florida and 332nd in the country.

Senior guard Ziyah Jefferson, coming off a 33-point game against Gulliver Prep, led the Conchs with 16 points. His brother, freshman Elijah Jefferson, provided a spark with nine points and four assists.

Alvin Howard scored 10 points, Odelton Page scored eight, Darshaun Carey had six, Ty Hughes and Jalen Matthews added four each and Ryan Keane had three. The Conchs made seven three-point shots, four by Ziyah Jefferson.

St. Andrew’s had four players in double figures, led by Jammy Pierre-louis, who scored 17.

The Conchs outrebounded the Scots, 38-32, led by Howard, who grabbed eight. Key West, which fell to 3-11 under second-year coach Eric Brown, made 21 of 56 field-goal attempts; the Scots were 30 of 55.

The Conchs, who were scheduled to play Pinecrest Prep late Friday, will host 6-10 Westminster Christian in an important District 16-5A at 5 p.m. today.

This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Powerful Scots down the Conchs."