by Gunnar Davis

The PCM Mustangs boys’ basketball team traveled to Knoxville to take on the Panthers on Dec 19. Earlier in the week, the Mustangs lost on a buzzer-beater, and they looked to gain more confidence against a talented Knoxville squad. The toughness of the Panthers was hard to deny, but PCM showed grit and won 48-46.
The game started off with an action-packed first quarter. The score heading into the second was 17-16 in favor of the Panthers. But then PCM and Knoxville traded big second and third quarters leading into the final eight minutes.
With 30 seconds remaining in the game, the score was tied up at 46. PCM senior Logan Gilman put the fate of the game on his shoulders and drained a go-ahead layup with 15 seconds on the clock. The Panthers had a good look at a 3-pointer to win the game, but ultimately, the shot was missed, and the Mustangs escaped with a victory.
“It was exciting to be able to hit the shot to take the lead at the end,” Gilman said. “I’m happy with how the team played hard even when we were down most of the game. Nobody quit trying.”
Gilman led with 22 points and eight rebounds. Junior Luke Greiner also had eight rebounds, along with six points and four assists. Junior Mark Bruxvoort had seven points and five boards.
Gilman said, “We need to work on playing all four quarters and being more excited when we play.”
The next game is at Nevada on Tuesday, Jan. 5. The Mustangs will look to continue their winning streak against the Cubs.