Girls Prep Basketball: PCHS escapes A-J with SIRR win

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A lightning-quick start proved to be the difference as Pinckneyville Community High School's girls basketball team had to hold on for dear life in the final minutes of Tuesday's win at Anna-Jonesboro.

PCHS, ahead 25-7 and 39-21 at the initial quarter-stops, managed just 12 second half points and held back host A-J.

The final score was 51-47 as the Lady Panthers (15-5) improved to 2-2 in River-to-River Conference, Mississippi Division play.

Saturday morning at 11, PCHS plays Herrin in the first round of the West Frankfort Mid-Winter Classic.

"We really came out and took it to them in the first quarter," Lady Panthers coach Alan Engelhardt said. "We did a really nice job of running the floor, attacking the rim and pitching back out for threes."

Emily Miller and Taylor Cicardi scored 10 points apiece to pace Pinckneyville's balanced scoring attack. Lindsey Winter (nine points), Cheyenne Conner and Mo Ramsey (eight points apiece) all just missed scoring in double figures.

Katrina Henson aded six points.

A-J trimmed the Lady Panther lead down to just eight, 45-37, as the final quarter began.

"We really started to sleepwalk a little bit in the second half," Engelhardt said. "I think the biggest difference was our complete lack of aggressiveness in the second half. We escaped with another conference win on the road and you always appreciate when you come away with one of those."