The Parry McCluer High School boys basketball team cruised to its first two wins last week, both away games, earning a 75-51 win in its Pioneer District opener against Eastern Montgomery last Monday before trouncing Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy 78-43 on Thursday.
At Eastern Montgomery (1-5 overall, 0-1 district), PM junior guard Langston Cook set a new standard for himself in the contest in helping its team get its first win of the season. He recorded his first double-double of the year with 34 points, 11 rebounds and five steals.
The Fighting Blues (2-2) never trailed against the Mustangs, and PM head coach Tyler Kerr attributed that to his players sharing the ball and their defensive intensity. “The guys know that in these district games, it’s what determines their seeding,” said Kerr. “They don’t need much convincing to get after it.”
“The tale of the tape was the energy and effort we brought to that game,” added Kerr, “We didn’t get the results we wanted in last week’s [Alleghany] tournament [two close losses to bigger schools Alleghany and Lord Botetourt], and I think that made our guys set a new standard in this game.”
Nathan Glass scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds for PM, while Jamier Jordan added 13 points and seven steals. “It was an all-around complete performance,” said Kerr. “Jamier and Quentin [Rosser] gave us great guard play, Langston was hot and attacking the rim, and Nathan really attacked the rebounds in the second half.”
PM 78, SMLCA 43
Traveling outside of the Pioneer District, the Blues recorded their highest point total so far this year in their 78-43 win over Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy (1-3) on Thursday.
Two Blues recorded double-doubles in the stat book. Cook led PM with 34 points and 10 rebounds while grabbing three steals. Rosser scored 16 points and dished out 10 assists while pulling down five rebounds. Also contributing for PM was Brody Coleman with 11 points.
For their home opener last night, the Blues were scheduled to play host to James River. After Christmas, PM will take on local rival Rockbridge County on Monday in Lexington. The varsity boys’ game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. following the 2:30 p.m. junior varsity boys’ game and the 4 p.m. varsity girls’ game.
