The PCM Mustangs came really close to a 1-0 start in their season opener Saturday, but fell to Chariton on the road 49-48.

The game was very back and forth for both sides. The Chargers were up four after the first quarter, then it was tied at 25 going into the break. Chariton was then up three entering the fourth, but with seven minutes to go, the Mustangs flipped the script, going from down five to up five in a two minute span.

Up one with 25 seconds left, senior Emma George was called for a travel. This gave the Chargers the ball down just a single point. A field goal from the free throw line with seven seconds remaining put the home team up one. Lilli Baird of PCM tried for a last second three at the buzzer, but it was wide right and PCM was on the losing end of a great basketball game.

Baird led the Mustangs with 14 points, followed by Celeste Wagaman’s 11, nine of which came from downtown. The Mustangs didn’t attempt a single free throw in the entire game.

Head Coach Jeff Lindsay said that even in defeat, the effort his girls gave for 32 minutes was incredible and that the team showed some offensive balance in the early stages of the season.

“I thought we played well for the first game of the season. As a whole, I thought the energy was there, the girls played hard and some girls stepped up and showed us some stuff maybe we haven’t seen in practice yet. When it comes to game time, they’re ready to get in there and get it done. We had a nice balance on the offensive end tonight with several different people contributing.”

This was the third straight year PCM opened up against Chariton, and this was the first time the Chargers came out on top.

PCM’s next contest comes this Tuesday night against Knoxville in their home opener. The boys team won’t start play until the Monday after Thanksgiving.