Thursday, Dec. 18 -- Eastern Montgomery defeated Parry McCluer High School 35-29 in the Pioneer District girls basketball opener for both teams in Buena Vista.
Olivia Boone had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Mustangs (3-2), and Macie Akers notched 15 points. Kayleigh Ramsey led PM (1-4) with 12 points, while Emory Slagle chipped in nine markers.
PM held a slim 8-7 advantage after the opening frame. But EastMont scored the first six points of the second quarter to go in front 13-8, and the Mustangs would not trail again. A 40-foot buzzer-beater from Boone sent the visitors into halftime ahead 19-16.
EastMont opened the third period with another 6-0 spurt, stretching the margin to 25-16 by the 5:34 mark. The Blues held the Mustangs off the board for the remainder of the frame, getting a bucket from Caroline Watts and a 3-pointer from Ramsey to trim the margin to 25-21.
PM then pulled to within 27-26 on a triple from Slagle with 5:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. But that would prove to be the Blues' last field goal in the game, and Akers tallied six of the Mustangs' final eight points as EastMont held on for the win.
Josie Martinez totaled six points and six rebounds for PM, and Watts doled out a game-high three assists.
The Blues will return to action with a 6 p.m. tip-off at Riverheads on Saturday.
