The Pinnacle girls’ basketball team had some visitors come to town over the weekend. While hosting the Panther Winter Classic, they won two of their three games.
The first matchup was against a quite familiar UMACW Marauders team, whom Pinnacle played twice before the tournament. The Lady Panthers won their first meeting, but lost the second matchup on Dec. 8. Pinnacle came out with intensity, going for the win in the non-region grudge match. By the end of the first half, the score was 29-17 in favor of Pinnacle.
As the third quarter hit, so did the Marauders, outscoring the Lady Panthers 14-2, bringing the score to 31-31 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The game went down to the wire, but the Lady Panthers would secure the win, 46-42.
The girls at the four and five positions were scoring machines down low. Jostyn McLean had a 75% shooting percentage, scoring 20 for her team on 12 attempts. She had a massive double-double, adding on 17 rebounds, a steal and a block. Heather Kerr also had a great game, recording 23 points, eight boards, fours steals and a couple blocks.
Next up were the tough Wayne Badgers, who were quick out of the gate, going on multiple big runs in the first half. The Lady Panthers couldn’t seem to catch a good run for themselves and would eventually fall to Wayne, 54-27. It was a tough shooting day for the Lady Panthers as the team shot 19% collectively for the game. MacLean had a solid fame with 11 points, 17 rebounds, a block and five steals.
Lastly, Pinnacle faced the Merit Preparatory Knights. The Lady Panthers wanted to end on a good note and had a comfortable lead by the half, 23-9. The Knights tried to make a run, but Pinnacle would keep putting the pressure back on them. The Lady Panthers would seal the win, 47-31, and end with a positive winning record for the tournament.
Jostyn McLean finished her amazing tournament play with 20 points and 19 rebounds in the game. McLean would accumulate 53 rebounds out of her three games, showing what a force she is in the paint. She also added on three steals and a block for the game.
Heather Kerr ended the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds, completing a double-double. Kaydence Romero distributed the ball well on offense and played tough defense against the opposing teams. Carolina Vasquez helped her team by passing and playing solid defense.
Next up, the Lady Panthers (6-5) will face the Tintic Miners (1-8) on Wednesday before the holiday break.