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Tuesday, Jan. 31 -- Parry McCluer High School overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to take down Eastern Montgomery 41-36 in a key Pioneer District girls basketball matchup in Buena Vista.
Victoria Hamilton tallied 13 points and Tatyana Turner added 12 markers as the Fighting Blues (15-2, 6-1 Pioneer) forged a first-place tie atop the district standings with the Mustangs (18-3, 6-1). Lilly Underwood led all scorers with 24 points for EM, which had beaten PM 55-30 in the first meeting in Elliston back on Jan. 6.
The Mustangs looked like they were on a similar course in Tuesday's rematch, going on an early 13-0 run to build up a 16-5 lead and assuming a 28-14 advantage midway through the third quarter. But a 9-0 run got the Blues back in the game, and -- after Underwood had drained her fifth 3-pointer of the night with eight seconds left in the period -- Hamilton's buzzer-beating trey made it a 31-26 game.
Maddie Bruce's hoop gave EM a 33-26 lead with 6:24 left in the final stanza. But the Blues then reeled off 11 unanswered points, sandwiching another triple and a drive from Hamilton around a pair of Turner 3-pointers to go ahead 37-33. Logan Boone answered with a trey to make it 37-36 with 3:34 remaining, but PM held EM scoreless the rest of the way.
Anna Claytor finished with eight points and eight rebounds for the Blues, while Addisen Roberts tallied four points -- including a key layup that made it 39-36 with 3:04 to play -- and four assists, and Payton Emore notched four points and seven rebounds. Boone finished with six points and four rebounds for the Mustangs, while Bruce led her team with four assists.
PM will play host to Covington on Thursday, beginning with the junior varsity tip-off at 5:30 p.m. Claytor, the Blues' lone senior, will be honored prior to the varsity game.
