Murray nets career-high 29, Brown gets career-high 28
BEARVILLE — Pierce County closed out its regular season home schedule Tuesday splitting a non-region affair with Clinch County.
The Lady Bears (6-14) won for the third time in five games rolling to a 6838 victory February 3 over the Lady Panthers (7-13), who dropped their fourth consecutive outing. Clinch County posted a 42-24 victory at home January 26.
Pierce County’s 68 points trailed the seasonhigh 69 points scored against Montgomery County January 24. The Lady Bears entered the contest scoring just over 37 points per game.
The Class A DII fourthranked Panthers (19-3), winners in eight of their last 10 games, completed the season sweep of the Bears (6-14), who lost for the seventh time in 10 games, 82-51. Clinch County escaped 56-54 in the first meeting.
Lady Bears .............68 Clinch County.........38 Claire Murray erupted for a career-high 29 points in her final home game leading PCHS past the Lady Panthers.
Murray (two treys) scored 10 of her 16 firsthalf points in the second period. Isabella Marx scored half of her careerbest 16 points in the second stanza.
The Lady Bears outscored Clinch County 4722 from the floor. Pierce County finished 21-of-28 (75 percent) from the foul line while the Lady Panthers converted 16-of-25 (64%) from the charity stripe.
PCHS claimed a 15-10 lead at the end of the first period. The Lady Bears padded the margin by three points during the second quarter outscoring Clinch County 18-10 in building a 33-20 halftime lead.
Pierce County continued adding distance to its advantage outscoring the Lady Panthers 20-14 in the third stanza upping the lead to 53-34. The Lady Bears finished the game with a 15-4 scoring advantage for the 30-point margin.
Alayna Bell just missed double figures netting nine points. Azalea Mobley (trey) followed with six points. Layla Chandel, Madi McGatha, Saharah Minott and Ansley Hutcheson contributed two points apiece.
Clinch County was led by the 15 points of Tara Stevens. D’Mrreya Magby bagged 10 points.
No. 4 Clinch Co. ......82 Bears.......................51 A trio of Panthers combined for 52 points to outscore Pierce County spoiling the career-high 28 points of Nigel Brown in his final home game.
Kamarion Johnson (trey) topped the Panthers’ scoring chart with 25 points. Travion Miller (trey) bucketed 17 points while Jakari Mosley finished with 10 points.
Clinch County made 34 baskets (29 two-pointers, five treys) to outscore the Bears (18 twos, two treys) 73-42 from the floor.
Brown (two treys) scored 22 of his game-high 28 points over the final two periods (11 points in each). The Bears’ eight other players reaching the scoring column combined for just 23 points.
The Panthers jumped out to a 15-10 first quarter advantage. They would score at least 21 points in each of the final three periods starting with a 227 blitz in the second stanza to take a 37-17 lead at intermission.
Clinch County outpointed the Bears 21-15 in the third period extending its advantage to 58-32. An up-and-down fourth quarter ended with the Panthers outscoring PCHS 24-19.
Shavezz Warren, Miles Pitts and D.J. Moody followed Brown’s lead with four points apiece. JiKeyse McGauley chipped in three points.
Jamil Strickland, Chezz Armstrong, Amir McKenzie and DeMontre Clark netted two points each.
