COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Senior point guard Taylor Ross (pictured, left) netted a team-high 14 points and added five assists to lead four players in double-figure scoring as nationally-ranked Pflugerville registered a 67-55 victory over Houston Klein Forest in the UIL State Playoff Region II Area round competition Friday night. The game was played at A&M Consolidated High School.

Senior guard Amy Staha (12 points), junior guard Alyssa Echols (11 points) and senior forward Jonelle Smith (10 points) rounded out the double-digit Panther scorers.

Wth the win, Pflugerville moves to 35-0 and advances to the Region II quarterfinals to face Austin Bowie on Tuesday, Feb. 19. The game will take place at McNeil High School in Austin with a 6:30 p.m. tip time. Bowie (20-12) upset the No. 14 state-ranked The Woodlands (28-8), 56-50 on Feb. 14 in Area round play. Pflugerville ranked second in the TABC/Tex Preps Magazine final regular season 5A rankings while Klein Forest stood at the No. 23 spot.

Klein Forest, which was forced into 29 turnovers, ends its season at 23-7.

This marks the 21st Area Championship for Pflugerville in history and its sixth consecutive.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Read Pflugerville Pflag game story: Pflugerville girls: Keep on smiling, by Joey Harrington  HERE

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Panthers led 38-22 at intermission before the Lady Golden Eagles got to within nine points, 45-36 with five minutes to play in the third quarter. Pflugerville then pushed the lead back to double-digits, 49-36 on back-to-back steals and layups by senior forward Diana Omozee and senior guard Bre Payne.

Klein Forest pulled to within four in the fourth period after the Panthers were whistled for five consecutive fouls, but key free throws down the stretch gave P'ville the win. The Panthers made seven of 10 free throws, including three by Ross, in the final five minutes to push the lead again to double-figures.

Omozee (six points) was the game's top rebounder as she pulled down nine rebounds. Ross added six rebounds while she and Echols each finished with three steals.

Pflugerville held a 31-24 edge on the boards and also had 12 steals to the Lady Golden Eagles' eight.