Pruitt delivers double-double in win over Bloomington Central Catholic

By Fred Kroner

Sophomore Chloe Pruitt saved her best for the last in the Mahomet-Seymour girls’ basketball season, which ended on Saturday (March 13).

The 5-foot-9 Pruitt put together a 27-point, 14-rebound effort in the Bulldogs’ home finale as M-S rallied to beat Bloomington Central Catholic, 61-56.

Pruitt became the fourth squad member to score at least 20 points in a game this season and her 14-rebound performance represented a team-high for the 16-game season. No other Bulldog had more than nine rebounds in a game this year.

Pruitt hit her stride down the stretch, averaging12 points per game in the season’s final four games. She was the team’s top scorer in two of those four games.

For the season, Pruitt led, or shared, the team-lead in rebounding in two games, the first and last of the year.

Against BCC, M-S got ample scoring support from Kayla Koerner (16 points) and Durbin Thomas (12 points).

M-S trailed the Saints, 15-10, after one quarter, but held a 45-44 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Pruitt scored eight of her points and Koerner notched six of hers during the last eight minutes.

Another key to the win was the team’s 9-for-9 accuracy from the free throw line after halftime. Koerner, Pruitt and Caitlin Thomason combined to make all of their second-half attempts from the charity stripe.

Emma Clements pulled down four rebounds. Thomas and Thomason had three rebounds each. Koerner latched onto four steals.

On Thursday (March 11), M-S lost its final Apollo Conference game of the season, 62-45, to visiting Charleston.

Koerner tallied 16 points, Thomas had 13 and Pruitt contributed six points.

Koerner and Thomas each netted three three-point shots in the contest.

M-S led, 11-8, after one quarter, but the Trojans pulled into a 26-20 halftime lead and pulled away by outscoring the Bulldogs, 22-6, in the third stanza.

Clements hauled down a team-high six rebounds. Koerner cleared five rebounds. Abigail Bunting and Pruitt each had four rebounds.

Koerner finished with three steals. Sydney Esker had two steals. Clements blocked two shots.

For the season, M-S ended with an 8-8 overall record under first-year head coach Garret Risley. The Bulldogs were 7-7 in Apollo Conference games.

The top individual scoring performances for M-S were 29 points by Thomas, 27 points by Pruitt, 26 points by Savannah Orgeron and 23 points by Koerner.

For the season, Koerner was the team’s top scorer in seven games, Orgeron led in six games, Pruitt in two and Thomas in one.

Nichole Taylor was the leading rebounder in seven games and Orgeron led in four games. Clements, Esker and Pruitt led, or shared the lead, in two games. Koerner, Thomas and Thomason were the top rebounders in one game apiece.

Overall scoring leaders for the season were Orgeron (14.8 average), Koerner (12.8), Taylor (8.8) and Thomas (8.2).

Thomas was the team-leader in three-pointers (22), followed by Orgeron (19) and Koerner (18).

Thomas was the top free throw shooter (71.4 percent accuracy), though she had just seven attempts.

Among squad members with at least 20 attempts, the leaders were Orgeron (69.6 percent), Clements (67.7 percent) and Koerner (65.2 percent).

Bulldogs most adept at getting to the free throw line were Orgeron and Taylor (56 attempts each) and Koerner (46 attempts).