DUBLIN, Va. — Senior Ellie McDonald found her rhythm early and never let up Tuesday night, sinking six 3-pointers to lead the Pulaski County Lady Cougars to a 60-30 victory over the William Byrd Terriers in the opening round of the Region 3D tournament.
McDonald finished with a game-high 20 points, spearheading an offensive attack that saw the Lady Cougars jump out to a double-digit lead by halftime and never look back at Pulaski County High School.
The Lady Cougars established dominance in the first half, outscoring the Terriers 23-11. The momentum surged further in the third quarter as Pulaski County exploded for 25 points, effectively putting the game out of reach. 
Beyond McDonald’s perimeter shooting, the Lady Cougars received balanced contributions across the roster. Dayonna Lewis and Chacha Ratcliffe-Calfee each added nine points, while Palyn Sweet chipped in seven.
William Byrd struggled to keep pace with the Pulaski County transition game. Logan Andrews led the Terriers with 10 points, followed by Maurisia Burnett with seven.
Defensively, Coach Ratcliff’s squad kept the Terriers in check, limiting William Byrd to single-digit scoring in three of the four quarters.
“That was a pretty good win, but I know we can do better,” Coach Ratcliff said after the win. “We’re a young team, but we’ve grown up a lot through the season. We need to keep our intensity, keep the mistakes to a minimum, and play like I know we can play. If we can do those things, we can be a pretty good ball team. At this point, every team is a pretty good ball team though. We just need to do our jobs. I believe in this program and these girls.”
While the Lady Cougars dominated from the perimeter, they also made frequent trips to the charity stripe to maintain their lead. Pulaski County finished the night shooting 56% from the free-throw line, converting 9-of-16 attempts. Palyn Sweet and Kaliyah Green were particularly effective in drawing contact, with Green finishing a perfect 3-for-3 from the line.
Although the Terriers reached the line less frequently, Logan Andrews and Maurisia Burnett combined for three made free throws, but it wasn't enough to bridge the gap created by the Cougars' high-volume scoring.
With the win, Pulaski County advances to the next round of the Region 3D bracket. The Lady Cougars will travel to Northside High School in Roanoke on Thursday to face off against the Staunton River Eagles. Tipoff is set for 7:15 p.m.
PULASKI COUNTY 60, WILLIAM BYRD 30
William Byrd (30)
Logan Andrews 10, Maurisia Burnett 7, Mia Martin 5, Heidi Dixon 4, Elena Mullen 2, Maggie Zimmerman 2.
Pulaski County (60)
Ellie McDonald 20, Chacha Calfee 9, Dayonna Lewis 9, Palyn Sweet 7, Kaliyah Green 5, Charisma Jones 4, Olivia King 2, Jasmine Dalton 2, Ellie Russell 2.