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Blues Win Eighth Straight, Improve To 13-2 Overall
The Parry McCluer High School girls basketball team eked out a 36-33 home victory over Pioneer District rival Eastern Montgomery on senior night in Buena Vista last Tuesday.
The Fighting Blues also defeated William Campbell 47-30 in a nondistrict road matchup on Thursday to extend their winning streak to eight games and improve to 13-2 overall. PM’s Friday contest at Craig County was postponed due to flooding issues in Craig and rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 14.
Last Tuesday, Victoria Hamilton totaled 18 points and nine rebounds as the Blues battled back from an early seven-point deficit to move to 3-0 in the Pioneer. 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 (4-14 overall, 3-4 district) with nine points and six rebounds, while Macie Akers and Aija McHone each tallied eight points.
Prior to the contest, the Blues recognized their four seniors: Conner, Hamilton, Natalie Mohler and Kylie Ramsey.
For the game, PM shot just 31.6 percent (12-of-38) from the field and committed 20 turnovers, enduring a pair of lengthy offensive droughts. But the Blues managed to connect on 66.7 percent (10-of-15) of their free throws, and they limited EM to a 27.9 percent (12-of-43) performance from the floor.
“We did not shoot the ball particularly well tonight on the perimeter, but we found a way to get the ball inside a little bit and get to the foul line,” PM head coach Adam Gilbert said.
The Mustangs did find the shooting touch in the first half, knocking down five 3-pointers in the second period. McHone’s second trey of the stanza gave EM a 19-12 advantage with 1:49 to play, but baskets from Slagle and Hamilton pulled the Blues to within three (19-16) by halftime.
Mohler tallied the first four markers of the second half, putting PM ahead 20-19 on a pair of free throws with 6:12 to play in 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.
The Blues 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 PM would go scoreless the rest of the way, leaving the door open for an EM 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 gameclinching steal with just four ticks remaining as the Blues held on for the win.
Mohler finished with four points and eight rebounds, and Josie Martinez also scored four points for PM. Boone totaled six points and three assists for the Mustangs.
While the game was a tough slog, the Blues found a way to honor their senior class with a victory.
“We talk about it all the time: it doesn’t have to be pretty – it doesn’t have to be the way we draw it up or want it to be – we’ve just got to find a way to get it done,” Gilbert said.
Winning is nothing new for the senior class: Hamilton and Mohler are four-year varsity players who were part of the Blues’ Region 1C championship and Class 1 state semifinal run in 2022. Conner and Kylie Ramsey joined the varsity squad last year, which culminated in another Pioneer District title and regional semifinal appearance.
“They’ve been instrumental to our success,” Gilbert said of the senior class. “Their work ethic has been great, and they’ve pushed the younger ones – the younger kids – and hopefully, that will help in the future.”
PM 47, WC 30
PM continued its string of victories with a 47-30 win over William Campbell in Brookneal on Thursday.
Hamilton tallied 12 points and Kayleigh Ramsey added nine markers as the Blues secured their 13th victory of the season. Conner and Mohler chipped in eight points apiece, and Martinez scored seven. Jordyn Wilson led the Generals (9-7) with 11 points, and Cassie Townes notched 10 markers.
The final scoreline was nearly identical to the two teams’ encounter in Buena Vista just seven days earlier, when PM recorded a 49-30 win.
The Blues were slated to visit Bath County last night. PM will face off against the other unbeaten team in the Pioneer, Narrows, on the road at 7 p.m. Friday – following a varsity boys’ matchup between the teams at 5:30 p.m. – before traveling to EM on Monday. Junior varsity action in Elliston begins at 5:30 p.m. The Blues will have their final home game of the regular season next Wednesday, Feb. 13, when they play host to Narrows, with the 5:30 p.m. girls’ varsity game preceding the 7 p.m. boys’ varsity game.
