MONTEZUMA – The 11th-ranked girls basketball team in Class 3A should be able to beat the #7 team in Class 1A, shouldn’t it?
Well, it did, as PCM beat Montezuma 59-44 on Thursday night, Jan. 9.
But, you might also expect some excellent basketball, which is what fans were treated to.
The Mustangs pulled away, gradually, during the second half. But the Bravettes made them work for it.
The difference was PCM’s defense, which limited Montezuma to .288 field goal shooting.
The Mustangs have the number 5 defense, statistically, in Class 3A. The Bravettes’ 44 point beat that average, but Montezuma wasn’t able to beat the Mustangs, who brought in a team with three girls averaging in double figures.
PCM led 14-10 after one quarter and 25-21 at halftime. They then outscored Montezuma 34-23 in the second half.
The Bravettes put three girls in double figures and had two more very close.
Junior guard Claire Erselius led with 15 and showed she can shoot with either hand. She was 5-for-18 from the field, including 5-for-11 on three-pointers.
Shiressa Wetering scored 12 points, and was 4-for-6 from both the field and the free throw line.
Vivian Cook scored 9 points and Ellen Cook had 8. Ellen also led the Bravettes with 4 assists and 6 rebounds. Vivian led with 4 steals.
The win put PCM at 10-2 on the season.
The Bravettes are 6-4.
UP NEXT – Montezuma goes right back to SICL play Friday evening, Jan. 10, at Belle Plaine.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
PCM 14 11 22 12 – 59
Montezuma 10 11 16 7 – 44
MONTEZUMA (44) – Ellen Cook 3-16, 1-1, 2, 8; Vivian Cook 3-9, 0-0, 5, 9; Syd Burgess 0-1, 0-0, 4, 0; Claire Erselius 5-18, 0-0, 2, 15; Shiressa Wetering 4-6, 4-6, 1, 12; Lauryn Larmore 0-2, 0-0, 1, 2. TOTALS – 15-52, 5-7, 16, 44.
LINE SCORE LEGEND: field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Three-pointers: 9-32 (Erselius 5-11, V. Cook 3-8, E. Cook 1-10, Burgess 0-1, Larmore 0-2).
Turnovers: 17.
Rebounds: 19 (E. Cook 6, Wetering 4, Erselius 3, V. Cook 3, Burgess 2, Larmore 1).
Assists: 12 (E. Cook 4, Wetering 3, Burgess 2, Erselius 2, V. Cook 1).
Steals: 9 (V. Cook 4, E. Cook 2, Burgess 1, Wetering 1, Larmore 1).
Blocks: 2 (Burgess 1, Erselius 1, Wetering 1).
(PCM stats not available)