by Olin Meinders

Although it may be early in the season, the PCM Boys Basketball team is already showing the signs that the 2017 season is going to be a special one. They kicked off the season by trumping Saydel 74-7, a victory that showcased both the defensive improvement from last year while the offense shined as well. The Mustangs continued that trend and pulled off their first win over the Eagles in four years. Moving on from playing an opponent like Saydel, who is currently 1-2, to Pella Christian, last year’s 2A runner-up at the state tournament is no small feat. The score was close throughout the entire game, but PCM as a complete team was able to pull off the 63-57 win against the Eagles on December 4.

The game started off close, as expected. The Eagles had the minimal lead of 12-11 at the end of first quarter. The second quarter was still very close, but the Mustangs managed to take the lead 33-30 going into halftime. The third quarter was predictably close just like the first two. The Eagle put a small dent in the Mustang’s lead to put the score at 44-42 with the final quarter left to go. The score was still close for nearly all of the fourth, but the Mustangs were able to hold onto their lead to hand the Eagles their third loss of the season.

Leading the team in scoring were senior Elijah Sperfslage and junior Reed Worth, both with 13 points. Junior Andrew Van Ryswyk had a productive night with 12 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. The PCM bench also proved to be very effective as ten different Mustangs were able to score in the game. The Mustangs will play tomorrow at home against South Hamilton, tip-off at 7:30.