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Pride best Patterson to snap losing streak
Pitman girls basketball 1
Pitman High’s Sydney Smith drives the ball into the paint during Tuesday’s 53-32 win over Patterson High (EDDIE RUIZ/The Journal).

Things look good heading into the Pitman Holiday Classic for the Pride varsity girls basketball team after they snapped a four-game losing streak by handling Patterson High at home in a non-league game on Tuesday that ended in a 53-32 final.

“These four games were tough,” said Pitman head coach Dustin Curtiss.

During that losing streak, Pitman played four games in a 10-day span, against stiff competition that included powerhouse St. Mary’s—currently ranked No. 22 in the state at 6-0.

In the game against St. Mary’s last Wednesday, Pitman saw glimpses of what they are capable if all things go well and they are in a rhythm.

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Gracie Alves of Pitman High scored eight points in Tuesday’s 53-32 win over Patterson High (EDDIE RUIZ/The Journal).

After the first quarter ended, Pitman was right there with St. Mary’s tied at 14-14.

Pitman led St. Mary’s at halftime, 27-22 before the second half falter occurred.

Against Manteca, the Pride were outscored in the fourth quarter 17-3 as they fell 44-39.

Sophomore Jessica Smith led all Pride scorers with a team-high 11 points.

Freshman Abbie Digrazia added nine points and senior Gracie Alves finished the game with eight points.

Nine of the Pride’s 14 players on the roster scored at least a point or more.

Pitman is now 6-6 for the year.

“Tonight got us in a little bit of a rhythm. I don’t think we are where we need to be and I think we got into more of a flow than the past couple games,” said Curtiss. “We picked up the intensity on defense a little bit and forced out girls to play up tempo, and there are times we don’t have to do that or we do and tonight we came out with a lot of energy and that got us going and our intensity on defense always helps out our offense.”

Pitman took a 3-2 lead early in the opening quarter and never looked back.

The Pride never trailed for the game after they took an eight-point lead in the first and led by 14 at the half.

Pitman led by 19 after the third and outscored Patterson in the fourth, 8-6, to win by 21 points, their largest margin of victory so far this year after 12 games played.

Pitman will next host Livermore in the Pitman Holiday Classic at a time yet to be announced on Dec. 27.

“This could be the best field we have ever had,” Curtiss said about the Holiday Classic. “… we are trying to get that title back then, obviously, league starts right after that and that is the ultimate goal to prepare for league and play well then.”