There's no place like home for the Pickens Blue Flame, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Saturday. They strolled past St. Joseph's Catholic with points to spare on Wednesday, taking the game 49-34. Given Pickens' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked eighth, while St. Joseph's Catholic is ranked 78th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pickens found their leader in underclassman Ava Owens, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds. That makes it five consecutive games in which Owens has scored at least 25% of Pickens' points. Another player making a difference was Maggie Chambers, who scored 17 points along with six steals and five rebounds.
Pickens' win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-1. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.0 points per game. As for St. Joseph's Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-7.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pickens will take on Westside at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Ahrianna Scott and Owens. St. Joseph's Catholic won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Palmetto at 6:00 p.m. on January 4th.
