The Pickens Blue Flame entered their tilt with the Easley Green Wave with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Pickens walked away with a 42-31 win over Easley on Friday. Given Pickens' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 11th, while Easley is ranked 91st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pickens found their leader in underclassman Ava Owens, who scored 17 points along with six rebounds and three steals. Owens is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Maggie Chambers, who scored eight points along with ten rebounds and three steals.
Easley's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Olivia Gramblin, who scored seven points along with seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Karson Bigham, who scored nine points along with three steals.
Pickens' win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-2. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.3 points per game. As for Easley, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-11.
Pickens will head out on the road to challenge Greenville at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Easley, they will be playing at home against Berea at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Berea is coming into the game on a six-game losing streak.
