Blues Roll Over Wave

PM Boys Pick Up 13th Straight Victory

Last Wednesday night in Buena Vista, the Parry McCluer High School boys basketball (13-2, 5-0) team placed its 13th consecutive mark in the win column, defeating Pioneer District rival Narrows (8-6, 3-2), 57-32.

Senior Nathan Glass and junior Jamier Jordan set the tone from the very beginning for PM, with Glass throwing down a dunk off a deflection from the rim and Jordan going end-to-end with a steal and score on the Green Wave’s next possession. The Blues went on a nine-point run from there, and the first quarter ended with the Blues up, 13-4. Six of Glass’s 13 points on the night came in the first quarter of action.

While the Blues started the second quarter by scoring through a Glass layup from the base-

ABOVE, PM junior guard Jamier Jordan looks for his shot as sophomore teammate Quentin Rosser (5) jogs down the court. Jordan scored 11 points and pulled down nine rebounds. AT LEFT, Fighting Blue senior forward Sam Griffin tries to maintain control of the ball as a Narrows player guards him. (Ronnie Coffey photos) line, the Green Wave slowly worked back into the game. Narrows scored nine unanswered points, capped with a three-point-and-one play from Braxton Hoke, to pull the score back to 15-13. It was the closest Narrows would get for the remainder of the game, as the Blues scored eight points before halftime to make the score 23-15. Langston Cook finished the half with a fadeaway buzzer-beater shot. Kerr was optimistic despite a lower than usual score at halftime, saying, “They held us to 23 at the half, but on the other side of that we held them to fifteen. The passion on defense was really present tonight.”

To start the third quarter, Glass had two steals that went to Jordan on a break for the Blues to go up 27-15. PM managed thirteen more points in the third to lead 40-21. “Not coming out flat from halftime was the vital turning point for us tonight,” said Kerr.

In the fourth quarter, Cook scored the first seven points for PM in a quarter that they would score seventeen. Jordan scored a three pointer to add to that. A pair of Glass and Cook free throws had the Blues leading 53-28. Kyle Smals scored the final four points for PM to secure the win, 57-32.

Kerr praised Cook and others after the game, saying, “Langston is such a dynamic player. You want him to handle the ball, but he’s useful in so many other areas of the court. He’s tenacious defensively.”

Cook scored 25 points with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jordan scored 11 points and pulled down nine rebounds. The numbers for Glass were 13 points, three rebounds, five assists and six steals.

Kerr noted that the defensive efforts of Jordan and Sam Griffin were important to the win. “In the last five games, Jamier has really taken some pride in defense. And tonight, Sam was the best help side defender in the game. He was constantly there when the ball went out.”