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Tuesday, Jan. 28 -- The Parry McCluer High School girls basketball team eked out a 36-33 victory over Eastern Montgomery on Senior Night in Buena Vista.
Victoria Hamilton totaled 18 points and nine rebounds as the Fighting Blues (12-2, 3-0 Pioneer) battled back from an early 7-point deficit to secure their seventh consecutive victory. Peira Conner snared a game-high 10 rebounds for PM, while Kayleigh Ramsey and Emory Slagle chipped in five points apiece.
Karsen Underwood led the Mustangs (4-13, 3-3) with nine points and six rebounds, while Macie Akers and Aija McHone each tallied eight points.
Prior to the game, the Blues honored their four seniors: Conner, Hamilton, Natalie Mohler and Kylie Ramsey.
EastMont found the shooting touch in the first half, knocking down five 3-pointers in the second period. McHone's second trey of the stanza gave the Mustangs a 19-12 advantage with 1:49 to play, but baskets from Slagle and Hamilton pulled PM to within three (19-16) by halftime.
Mohler tallied the first four markers of the second half, putting the Blues ahead 20-19 on a pair of free throws at the 6:12 mark of the third quarter. The teams traded points for the rest of the stanza, and the score was knotted up at 26-26 entering the final frame.
PM opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0 spurt, getting five points apiece from Hamilton and Kayleigh Ramsey during that span and assuming a 36-26 advantage with 4:42 to play.
But the Blues would go scoreless the rest of the way, leaving the door open for an EastMont rally. Olivia Boone hit a triple at the 4:05 mark, and a hoop and a pair of free throws from Akers would make it a one-possession game (36-33) with just over a minute to go.
Following a pair of free throw misses with 16.6 seconds left, Hamilton recorded a game-clinching steal with just four ticks to go as PM held on for the win.
Mohler finished with four points and eight rebounds, and Josie Martinez also scored four points for the Blues. Boone totaled six points and three assists for EastMont.
PM will visit non-district foe William Campbell at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by a Pioneer game at Craig County on Friday evening.
