Lady Tigers rout Paint Valley

After a 48-40 opening-game loss at Logan Elm Monday night, the McClain Lady Tigers bounced back Wednesday with an impressive 54-25 victory over non-conference foe Paint Valley.

McClain had three girls reach double figures in scoring for the game, led by junior Larah Henson, who scored a team-high 15 points, followed by Paisley Pryor and Brie Cummins, who tallied 14 each.

The Lady Tigers defense was the big difference in the game, holding Paint Valley to just 12 first-half points and only 13 points in the second half.

“This was a low-scoring and close game going into halftime, but after we gave our girls a little pep talk, I thought they really got going in the second half,” McClain head coach Shania Massie said.

“I thought our defensive execution was excellent, especially in the second half, and our pressure caused them to turn the ball over several times.”

The third quarter was the big difference maker in the game when the Lady Tigers outscored Paint Valley 20-6 and took a big 44-18 advantage into the fourth period.

Senior Brie Cummins was a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc and provided a much-needed offensive spark in the ballgame for McClain.

“Brie (Cummins) came out hot tonight and her shot was on, and that’s what we’re going to expect from her all season,” Massie said. “I think she made three 3-pointers, and she was the energy leader for us tonight.”

McClain, now 1-1 on the season travels to Lynchburg-Clay Monday, Dec. 1 before returning home Wednesday, Dec. 3 to open up Frontier Athletic Conference play against Washington.

Individual scoring for McClain: Larah Henson 15, Paisley Pryor 14, Brie Cummins 14, Leah Lovett 5, Karlee McGlone 2, Becca Bergstrom 2 and McKenzie West 2. The Lady Tigers converted 11-of-24 free-throws in the game for just 45 percent.