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The Parry McCluer High School girls basketball team opened the season with a convincing victory, rolling past Altavista 53-13 at home on Monday of last week.
Victoria Hamilton scored 17 of her game-high 20 points in the first half as the Fighting Blues took control of the contest early. Natalie Mohler and Emory Slagle chipped in eight points apiece for PM.
Riley Stinnette led the Colonels with five points, while Skylar Nichols managed four markers and Imani Crider finished with seven rebounds and two blocks.
The Blues overwhelmed Altavista with their trademark defensive pressure, forcing 30 turnovers in the game and limiting the Colonels to just two field goals in the second half.
“Our effort was there tonight on both sides of the basketball,” PM head coach Adam Gilbert said. “I thought we played with good intensity.”
Trailing 4-0 just over a minute into the opening period, the Blues quickly turned the tide in their favor. PM closed the first half with a 23-3 stretch, holding Altavista without a basket in the second quarter en route to crafting a 23-7 halftime lead.
Although the Blues executed well offensively – PM committed just eight turnovers and routinely created good looks – the outside shots weren’t falling in the early going.
But the Blues were able to lean heavily on Hamilton across the first two periods. The junior – and third-year varsity player – scored PM’s first 10 points of the game, notching three buckets down low along with a pair of midrange jumpers. In the second period, she would score on a backdoor cut, bury a 3-pointer and get a transition hoop off a steal.
“I thought Victoria played well tonight,” Gilbert said. “She crashed the offensive glass and got some stickbacks; she stepped out and hit a three for us when things weren’t going well with shooting the basketball. It was a good way for her to get started this year.”
The Colonels trimmed the margin to 13 early in the third frame, cutting the Blues’ lead to 24-11 on Stinnette’s three-point play just 60 seconds in. But PM dominated the rest of the way, keeping Altavista off the scoreboard for the final 12:30 of game time.
Tatyana Turner notched seven points for the Blues, and Peira Conner tallied five points and four rebounds. Payton Emore pulled down a team-best six boards and dished out four assists.
While Hamilton had the big game on night one, the balanced scoring behind her bodes well for the Blues as they look to replace two-time all-state performer Anna Claytor.
“We’ve got kids on the basketball team that can score the basketball,” Gilbert said. “It’s just a matter of them getting comfortable doing it.”
By the time PM returns to the court for the Jaden Baker Tournament this weekend, the Blues will have endured an 11-day layoff since last Monday’s game. (See separate story for Jaden Baker Tournament schedule). While that isn’t the ideal early-season schedule, Gilbert is hoping that a solid performance against Altavista will provide some good energy for his team.
“Our practices have to be intense,” the PM coach said. “We’ve got to get after it, and make them [the practices] as game-like as possible.”
