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Led by balanced scoring, the Parry McCluer High School girls basketball team defeated Eastern Montgomery 41-33 to win the Pioneer District regular-season title on Monday night at James River High School in Buchanan.
The Fighting Blues (19-2 overall, 8-1 district), who have won 11 consecutive games, will enter the district tournament as the top seed and will play host to fourth-seeded Covington in the semifinals on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., and they’ve earned home-court advantage throughout the tournament.
Monday was the third meeting of the season between the Blues and EM (19-4, 7-2), who had split the regular-season series, with the Mustangs routing shorthanded PM 55-30 on Jan. 6 at EM and the Blues earning a 41-36 comeback victory at home on Jan. 31.
Leading the Blues with 10 points each were Anna Claytor, Payton Emore and Victoria Hamilton, while Tatyana Turner scored five points, and Addisen Roberts chipped in four. Lilly Underwood paced the Mustangs with 18 points, but the Blues held EM’s second scorer, Maddie Bruce, to eight points.
The first-place game was close the whole way, with the Blues taking an 11-9 lead after the first quarter. PM stayed ahead for most of the second quarter until Underwood hit a 3-pointer to give EM a 21-20 lead with about two minutes left, and the Mustangs took a 26-22 lead into halftime.
PM went on a 6-0 run to start the third quarter, getting a basket each from Emore and Hamilton. The Mustangs tied the game at 29-29, but the Blues scored the next five points to take a 34-29 lead into the fourth quarter.
EM cut the lead to 34-33 early in the fourth quarter, but PM stepped up defensively and ended the game on an 8-0 run, executing from the free throw line at the end.
PM head coach Adam Gilbert was proud of how his players responded after losing at EM on Jan. 6, and he looks forward to a probable meeting with the Mustangs in the district finals on Friday. “I thought our kids bounced back, showed some resiliency in the last two games [against the Mustangs],” he said. “We hit shots when we needed to, and we got stops when we needed to.”
“I’m happy for this group,” added Gilbert. “They’re starting to see some of those benefits of the hard work that they’ve put in. Overall, a good win.”
For district tournament updates, visit www.thenews-gazette.com.
