“We work well together,” Taylor Geer, who was the Hager Paving Player of the Game, said. “We try our best to stick up for our team and help lead. We are there for each other. So, that’s nice.”

The Geers, who were solid throughout the night, were at their best in the fourth quarter when Keystone outscored Redbank Valley 20-14 to break open a close game. Taylor scored nine points in the quarter with Josselin adding seven.

“It’s a great option,” Keystone head coach Barry Foust said. “When you have Josselin who can penetrate and shoot the three, you have to decide if you are going to go out and guard her or let her get to the whole. Taylor is just a natural scorer.”

Taylor had perhaps the game’s biggest bucket for the Lady Panthers early in the fourth quarter.

Keystone had led by seven, 44-37, following an Amber Hess basket 15 seconds into the quarter but Redbank Valley scored four straight points, the last two on a Brooke Hinderliter bucket with 5:50 left, to close within three, 44-41.

Enter Taylor Geer, who took an inbounds pass under the basket from McKenzie Byerley and scored a layup while being fouled. She then finished off the old-school 3-point play to put the lead back to six, and Redbank Valley never got closer than that the rest of the way.

“We call it black, where they screen across,” Foust said. “We knew we would have it because they weren’t getting over it. We looked at it before there earlier.”

After a back-and-forth first half that saw seven lead changes and seven ties, Keystone took control of the game at halftime with a half-ending 8-2 run that featured 3-pointers from Kaci Weaver, playing her first game of the year, and Josselin Geer, to take a 34-28 halftime lead.

The Lady Panthers then extended the lead to eight, 36-28, on another Josselin Geer hoop a minute and a half into the third quarter before Redbank Valley pushed back thanks to a Macy King basket and an old-school 3-point play by Hinderliter, who finished with a game-high 25 points to go with eight rebounds.

“We had times where we got a little impatient,” Foust said. “What I call pushy basketball. But we are young. We’re going to do that type of stuff. My message is we have to be disciplined.”

Taylor Geer didn’t allow Redbank to get any close than the three points, though, scoring back-to-back baskets, including the first one coming off an offensive rebounds, one of six boards she had on the night, to put the lead back to seven, 40-33. And Keystone still led by five, 42-37, going to the fourth quarter.

“It feels really good to get this win,” Foust said. “When you can come down here and get a win playing against such a great player like Brooke Hinderliter, it’s a great win for us. We are happy with this.”

NOTES — The first quarter was fantastic with Keystone taking a 19-16 lead after a hot-shooting quarter by both teams saw Redbank Valley go 6 of 9 from the floor and Keystone connect on 7 of 11 shots … Amber Hess added 15 points for the Lady Panthers, while Becca Dougherty had nine points and Lexi Holt seven for the Lady Bulldogs … Redbank Valley played without starter Sam Landers, who was sick … Taylor Geer now has 44 points in her last two games, and Keystone has had five 20-point games out of players through its first five contest … With the victory, Keystone moves to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the KSAC South. The Lady Panthers host Union Friday … Redbank Valley falls to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the South. The Lady Bulldogs host Karns City next Tuesday (Dec. 22).

KEYSTONE 62, REDBANK VALLEY 51

Score by Quarters

Keystone 19 15 8 20 — 62

Redbank 16 12 9 14 — 51

KEYSTONE — 62

McKenzie Byerly 0 0-0 0, Amber Hess 6 1-2 15, Josselin Geer 8 2-2 21, Taylor Geer 6 9-11 21, Alyssa Beichner 1 0-0 2, Tessa Weaver 0 0-0 0, Kaci Weaver 1 0-0 3, McKenzie Hovis 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 12-15 62.

REDBANK VALLEY — 51

Brooke Hinderliter 6 11-14 25, Lexi Holt 2 3-4 7, Kera Fink 1 0-0 2, Macy King 1 2-6 4, Becca Dougherty 4 0-0 9, Maddy Marshall 00 -0 0, Alyssa Wiant 2 0-0 4. Totals 16 16-24 51.

THREE-POINTERS — Keystone 6 (J. Geer 3, Hess 2, K. Weaver). Redbank Valley 3 (Hinderliter 2, Dougherty)

Hager Paving Player of the Game Interview with Taylor Geer

Amber Hess — Keystone layup

Brooke Hinderliter — Redbank Valley 3-pointer