Pitman High’s girls basketball players entered their second league matchup against Atwater High on Thursday with a heightened sense of confidence. Two days after defeating a highly athletic Merced High team, the Pride won its second game in the CCC, beating the Falcons 59-38.

“They’re understanding their roles,” Pitman’s head coach Keith Larsen said. “We’re getting better, a lot better than we were a month ago.”

The Pride opened up the game scoring 6 points in the first minute. Pitman’s defense was able to force a number of Falcon turnovers, creating opportunities for its offense to score. Atwater trailed the entire game, and by halftime the scoreboard read 26-15.

Parmine Randhawa (16 points), Morgan Renshaw (13 points) and Alex DeChari (12 points) led Pitman’s scoring effort on the night. DeChari proved to be a force to be reckoned with inside the paint with 15 rebounds as Atwater had trouble keeping the ball out of her hands. Pitman’s offense outperformed Atwater’s in all four quarters and was able to give its substitute players some time on the court for most of the fourth.

“We’re constantly working on finishing,” Larsen said. “We got an inside presence, two good guards and a good shooter, so I think we have all the pieces.”

Pitman’s next matchup will be against Golden Valley High on Monday in a game that will have important implications in the CCC.

To contact Frankie Tovar, e-mail ftovar@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.