Jamestown Community Mourning Loss of Basketball Star Darian Keyser
Jamestown’s Darian Keyser drives inside during a game against Saegertown earlier this season. Keyser, who scored his 1,000th career point on Feb. 6, passed away in his sleep Sunday night. MEADVILLE TRIBUNE | CNHI News Service
Jamestown High School students, faculty and community as a whole are mourning the death of Darian Keyser, senior basketball star.
Keyser passed away in his sleep Sunday night, according to an e-mail from Jamestown boys head basketball Coach Lucas Widger.
Keyser, who committed to play for Geneva College next season and major in business administration, became the Muskies’ newest member of the 1,000-point club on Feb. 6 in a win over Tidioute Community Charter School (65-22). Keyser is just the 5th male Muskies’ basketball player in that elite group. He ranks 3rd all-time with 1,034 points, including 424 this season.
Geneva College men’s basketball Assistant Coach Zachary Stitt tweeted Monday afternoon: “Absolutely heartbroken after hearing the news this afternoon. Just talked to Darian yesterday morning. Gave me some encouraging words and couldn’t stop talking about how excited he was to be joining our family next year. Please keep the Keyser family in your prayers #RIPDarian.”
The Muskies won their second straight Region 1 title this season – 4-0 region, 9-13 overall – behind a stellar year by Keyser.
The 6-foot-6 forward was averaging a team-best 19.1 points per game. He scored in double figures in 19 of the Muskies’ 22 games.
His younger brother, Cameron, is listed as a 6-3 freshman forward.
Last February Jamestown won the program’s first District 10 basketball championship with a 47-33 win over Commodore Perry at Meadville Area Senior High, and Keyser was a key contributor. Last year he averaged 12.28 points per game (15 double-digit games) as the Muskies manufactured a 12-12 season mark under Widger’s predecessor, Scot Vannoy.
The 2018-19 squad lost its PIAA playoff opener to perennial WPIAL powerhouse Monessen (75-54).
A District 10 title tilt rematch between Jamestown and Commodore Perry is scheduled for Feb. 28. Widger confirmed on Tuesday that the Muskies will play that game. Darian, 18, also was a member of Jamestown’s back-to-back District 10 Class 1A championship baseball teams.
The Jamestown Area School District is hosting a candlelight vigil in Darian’s honor at 8 p.m. Sunday in the high school parking lot. All are welcome to attend.
Story Credit: https://www.sharonherald.com/sports/jamestown-community-mourning-loss-of-basketball-star-darian-keyser/article_802bcd6e-52d4-11ea-a3cc-77035e2e363b.html
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