HONAKER, Va. – Honaker senior basketball player Keyton Keene was in the spotlight Wednesday night at Baldwin Gym.
Before an overflow crowd, the 6-foot-8 post was facing the team he played for last year in the Lebanon Pioneers.
“I was really nervous,” Keene said. “We had a great crowd and it was an awesome environment to compete in.”
In his usual smooth fashion, Keene delivered with 18 points and multiple blocked shots as the Tigers rolled to a 62-32 victory.
The Russell County rivals split a pair of games earlier this season, with Lebanon taking a 58-57 decision in the finals of the Powell Valley National Bank tournament at UVa Wise.
This rematch was all about Honaker’s combination of Keene and 6-4, 195-pound junior Peyton Musick.
“Not many teams are able to match up with both of us, so it’s kind of like your poison,” Keene said.
Musick supplied 10 points as the Tigers controlled the interior. Relying on his long arms and strength, Musick also held multi-talented Lebanon sophomore Michael Reece to 10 points. Musick and Reece are two of the top quarterbacks in Southwest Virginia.
LEBANON (32) – H. Musick 1 1-2 4, Hilton 0 0-0 0, Garrett 0 0-0 0, Wess 1 0-0 2, Parker 0 0-0 0, Reece 4 0-0 10, Baker 0 0-0 0, C. Boyd 3 3-4 10, Lambert 3 0-0 6, M. Boyd 0 0-0 0, Patrick 0 0-0 0.
HONAKER (62) – P. Musick 5 0-0 10, C. Musick 0 0-0 0, Gill 4 3-3 15, Keene 7 3-3 18, A. Lowe 2 0-0 5, M. Lowe 0 0-0 0, A. Musick 0 0-0 0, Hart 3 0-0 6, Bandy 3 0-0 6.
Lebanon 11 2 14 5-32
Honaker 19 10 22 11-62
3-point goals – L 4 (Reece 2, Musick, C. Boyd), H 6 (Gill 4, Keene, A. Lowe). Total fouls – L 11, H 10. Fouled out – none. JV game – Honaker 40-23
GIRLS
Honaker 55, Lebanon 9
Honaker coach Misty Miller is in a good spot with a team blessed with experience, size and offensive balance.
Consider the latest win for the 11-3 Tigers.
Four players reached double figures in points, while 5-8 senior Abby Farmer contributed 13 rebounds.
“This is a great group of girls,” Miller said. “They share the ball and work well together, and girl can emerge as the leading scorer on a given night.”
Seniors Kate Jessee (eight rebounds) and Tailor Nolley each scored 12 points for Honaker Wednesday, while 5-11 junior Alayna McNulty (eight rebounds) and 5-3 junior Kalli Miller added 10 points apiece.
The chemistry for Honaker has been brewing since the fourth grade when most of the current players joined together on the Southwest Virginia Heat travel team. Steve McNulty served as the head coach and Miller has assisted.
“We made a lot of trips and played a bunch of games. That experience has paid off,” Miller said.
Due to last week’s snow, Honaker’s revised schedule includes seven games over the next two weeks.
“We’re happy with the season so far, but we have to keep working hard,” Miller said.
Lebanon (1-9) was led by sophomore Chloe Couch with six points.
LEBANON (9) – K. Morrison 0 0-0 0, Couch 2 2-2 6, Rasnake 0 0-0 0, Beck 0 0-2 0, Ward 1 0-0 3, Jones 0 0-0 0, Fields 0 0-0 0. Totals 3 2-4 9.
HONAKER (55) – Jessee 5 2-3 12, McNulty 1 8-11 10, Nolley 6 0-2 12, Miller 5 0-0 10, Ray 2 0-2 6, C. Keene 2 0-0 5, Farmer 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 10-18 55.
Lebanon 6 3 0 0-9
Honaker 16 19 16 4-55
3-point goals – L 1 (Ward, H 3 (Ray 2, Keene). Total fouls – L 9, H 5. Fouled out – none. JV game – Honaker 48-19.