The PCM girls basketball team put together a gem of a game against Gilbert Tuesday night, but it would not be enough to knock off the Tigers on their home court, as the Mustangs fell 53-47 on the road in their Class 2A Regional Quarterfinal contest.

The game was knotted at 9-9 after one quarter of play, and the Mustangs held the Tigers in check before offensive rebounds contributed to a 7-2 run that saw Gilbert take a 23-18 lead into the intermission. The Tigers had eight offensive rebounds in the first half, turning all of them into key points. PCM girls’ head coach Bret Grier said his team deviated from their game plan in the second quarter.

“We got away from what we wanted to do – being patient offensively. You can’t do that against a good team,” said Grier. “When they make a big shot, you’ve got to come down, be patient, work the ball, and make sure that you get the exact shot you want. Our girls got away from that.”

The Mustangs would play almost dead-even with the Tigers down the final 16 minutes, but never could close the gap that was established by halftime. Abbi Gilson led PCM with 17 points in the loss, followed by Courtney VanHouweling’s 14. The Mustangs finish the season with an overall record of 13-10.