The final stanza allowed Keith to empty the bench and give underclassmen some playoff experience.

Williams said the team is now eager to see what the rest of the season holds.

“We just want to keep on working hard and see where the season takes us,” he said.

The Lady Bears will face Akron Monday night for the region tournament title.

Sunshine 63 Keith 47

The Keith High School Bears came into Friday night’s game with Sunshine riding the momentum of another strong regular season.

Unfortunately, it did not transition into another win. The Tigers kept the Bears off balance all night, while piling up points on the way to a 63-47 win and tournament title berth.

Sunshine took advantage of Keith miscues and second chances to build an early 11-6 lead before the Bears could shift into high gear.

Sunshine rolled off 13 straight points to start the second half and build a 33-23 lead before the Bears The team, head coach Tommy Tisdale said, is disappointed in the loss, but will now get back to work to prepare for next season.

“We’ll get back to the drawing board,” he said. “In March, we’ll get back in the weight room and start getting ready for next season.”

The Bears finished the season 18-12.