PM Girls Coast By Covington In Pioneer Semis

Thursday, Feb. 16 -- Top-seeded Parry McCluer High School cruised past fourth-seeded Covington 50-20 in the Pioneer District girls basketball semifinals in Buena Vista.

Anna Claytor totaled 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for the Fighting Blues (20-2), who will play host to second-seeded Eastern Montgomery in the Pioneer championship game on Friday.

Payton Emore added 10 points and five rebounds for the Blues in Thursday's semifinal win, while Tatyana Turner contributed eight points and Addisen Roberts scored seven. Lauren Bragg led the Cougars (3-20) with 10 points and five rebounds, and Sydney Bragg notched five markers.

PM held a 16-9 advantage with just over five minutes left in the second quarter, but the Blues closed the first half on an 18-2 run to take a commanding 34-11 lead by halftime. That success was fueled by a slew of fastbreak points, as PM forced 23 Covington turnovers across the first two periods. The Blues then limited the Cougars to just two field goals in the second half.

Tip-off time for Friday's Pioneer title game is slated for 7 p.m.