Tuesday, Dec. 16 -- The Parry McCluer High School girls basketball team needed two extra sessions to secure its first win of the season, outlasting James River 51-45 in double overtime in Buena Vista.
The Fighting Blues (1-3) knocked down seven straight free throws in the decisive second overtime period, claiming the victory despite seeing a 15-point advantage slip away in the second half.
Kayleigh Ramsey tallied 13 points to pace a balanced scoring attack for PM, while Emory Slagle notched 12 points, six rebounds and five assists. Josie Martinez totaled 10 points and seven boards for the Blues, and Caroline Watts added nine points and 10 rebounds.
Jalen Thompson led the Knights (3-1) with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Audrey Benson had nine points and eight boards for JR, while Gillian Smith also scored nine points and Siera Davis chipped in seven markers.
The Blues led 32-17 on a bucket from Ramsey with 4:13 to play in the third quarter. But the Knights' full-court pressure got them back in the game: JR forced 16 PM turnovers in the second half, and 11 of the Knights' points during a critical 14-4 fourth-quarter run came in transition.
PM still had a chance to win the game in regulation. But Martinez narrowly missed a mid-range jumper at the buzzer, and the teams headed to OT tied at 42-42.
Each squad managed just one bucket in the first extra period. Thompson hit a jumper 35 seconds in, and Patience Hill tied the game for PM on a feed from Slagle with 1:13 to go.
But the Blues found their groove at the foul line down the stretch in the second bonus session. Ramsey, Kat Zissi and Slagle each converted two free throws to give PM a 50-45 advantage with under a minute remaining, and Zissi then went 1-of-2 with 23.1 seconds to play. The Blues also limited JR to a single point in the second OT.
PM will return to action with its Pioneer District opener against Eastern Montgomery on Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m.
