ROUND ROCK, Texas -- The No. 14 nationally-ranked Pflugerville basketball squad overcame a slow start and used strong bench play to overtake Round Rock, 70-53, in District 16-5A play Wednesday night at Round Rock High School.

The Panthers move to 24-0 overall with the win and are 3-0 in District action. Head coach Nancy Walling's Panthers are ranked as high as No. 14 nationally in the MaxPreps XCellent 25 national poll. Round Rock drops to 4-13 with the loss.

Down 15-5 to start the game, the Panthers closed out the first quarter with an 11-0 run in the final 4:25 of the period behind junior guard Alyssa Echols. Echols came off the bench to spark the Panthers, scoring nine of the 11 points in the run while also adding two rebounds and two steals.

The game was tied 22-22 in the second quarter before the Panthers took the lead for good with a 6-1 run behind two free throws each by Echols and senior forward Diana Omozee and a fastbreak layup by senior guard Taylor Ross.

Omozee and Ross each netted 11 points to lead Pflugerville's scoring effort. Senior guard Amy Staha added eight points and a team-best seven rebounds.

Round Rock, which turned the ball over 29 times, kept the game close by going to the free throw line 38 times, making 22 free throws. Pflugerville held a commanding edge in rebounding (36-22) and had 18 steals to Round Rock's nine steals.

Pflugerville returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 5, hosting District opponent McNeil HS in a 12 noon contest.

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The Pflugerville junior varsity defeated Round Rock, 44-27, with freshman post Alexis Bryant and sophomore post Osayuwa Evabayiro each scoring 10 points each.

The Panther freshman Gold (A) squad was upended by Round Rock, 55-39 while the P'ville freshman Blue (B) team also lost, 33-8. Deliah Mooney and Maykala Brathwaite each had 11 points for the Panther Gold squad.