Lady Pirates set a new season record

By Susan Taft
staft@campcountynow.com

The Pittsburg Lady Pirates made it all the way to the Class 3A Region II championship game before their season ended against Krum Saturday.
“We went as far as you can go without getting there,” Coach Debra Manley said. “This is the first group that made it to the Regional Finals. I am tickled to death. We fell a little short of the State championship, but we ended the season 32-6. That’s one of the best records I’ve ever had, and the best the school has had.”
The Lady Pirates were up 12 points in the first quarter against Krum, 18-6, and still held the lead at the half. Krum came alive in the second half, and outscored Pittsburg 20-1 in the fourth period. The final score was 41-28.
Cheyenne Ramey led the Lady Pirates’ scoring with 9 points and six rebounds. Meagan Peters added 6 points and eight boards. Shakira Duffey had 5 points, and Kasey Avinger and DeNasia Watson chipped in 4 points each.
The day before, the Lady Pirates had defeated Celina 41-36. This was the team that defeated Pittsburg in last year’s playoffs.
The Lady Pirates were up by 1, 11-10, at the end of the first quarter, and had increased the lead to 24-15 at halftime.
Duffey scored 18 points Friday’s contest at Texas A&M Commerce. She connected on seven of 10 field goal attempts and four of five free throws. She also had four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Ramey contributed 11 points and had seven assists. Peters added 8 points and seven rebounds, and Kasey Avinger was a factor in the game with five steals and three assists.
Duffey scored more points, 21, against the Spring Hill Lady Panthers in the Regional Quarterfinal game Feb. 19 than the Lady Panthers scored the entire game. The final score was 63-19.
Also scoring in the double figures in that contest were Watson with 18, and Ramey and Watson, who contributed 10 each.
The Lady Pirates were ahead 12-2 at the end of the first quarter, and they held the Lady Panthers scoreless for 11 minutes before the end of the half.
This year marked the Lady Pirates’ third trip to the playoffs in the last four years.
Coach Manley, who earned her 600th career win earlier in the season, said the team will lose seven players to graduation; however, there are four players coming back.
“The team will have great experience to build on,” she said. “Our junior varsity team didn’t lose but a couple of games this year, and the freshmen went undefeated, so the team will be loaded for the next couple of years.
“We’ve been very fortunate, and I’ve been blessed with a great group of kids.”