MARION — Pleasant gave itself a bon voyage gift before Christmas.
The Spartans rallied in the second half to beat Marion Harding 54-38 in a Mid Ohio Athletic Conference girls basketball game Dec. 20 at Harding.
Next up will be a three-day trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky to participate in the 29th annual Lady Invitational of the South. Pleasant will be the first Ohio team to play in the tournament that includes teams from multiple states. They open play Dec. 28 at 4:45 p.m.
“I try to do something special and unique with the kids each year. Last year we got to play in the 614. We went to Indiana and played in Hoosier Gym,” Pleasant coach Keriann Pratt said.
Before moving to Marion, the Pratt family lived in Bowling Green where her husband A.J. worked as an assistant football coach at Western Kentucky. She knows one of the organizers of the event.
“He said you guys would be competitive down here. College coaches are kind of off at that time, so there will be some college coaches there and that will be good for us, too,” Pratt said for her reasons to travel south during the holiday break.
But there are other reasons, she said.
“I want the girls to see Western’s campus as an opportunity. I want them to have some other exposures,” Pratt said. “I want to play some other competition and get them ready for tournament time. You really don’t know your opponent at tournament time, so it’s good for them to have that. I’m looking forward to them having that. Get all that ready to make February and March a little easier.”
On Saturday night at Harding, the Spartans (4-3, 3-2) struggled to find their rhythm at both ends. The Presidents led most of the first half and took a 24-20 lead into halftime.
“Effort and energy. Effort and energy. Our skill set is pressure, pressure, pressure. We didn’t have that at the beginning. It’s a rival. It’s always a good, competitive game. We enjoy this one,” Pratt said.
With 2:45 left in the third quarter, Brooklin Davis finished a fastbreak to put Pleasant up for good at 30-29. It was 33-29 by the end of the period, and the Spartans pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Mary Aurigemma led the Spartans with 18 points, while Davis had 17 all in the second half, and Annie Green added 14.
Harding was without three players due to injury, and head coach Ed McCants was out as well after getting two technicals in an earlier game. Filling in for him was his assistant coach and father Brian McCants.
“We’re going right back to basics,” the elder McCants said. “We’re changing the culture over here and it’s going to start with player development. That’s how I raised three boys and how I played, and that’s with any kid I work with. At the end, that’s what (Pleasant) got us on — fundamentals.”
Adley Haines scored 15 and Shelby Durain eight for Harding (1-5, 1-4). Despite the loss, McCants said the team’s spirits remain high.
“Every game they are starting to get better,” he said. “You teach, you teach, you teach every day. On game day, you coach and come up with strategy. Other than that, you teach. That’s what these young kids need.”
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This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Pleasant earns a going away present before heading to Ky. tourney
Reporting by Rob McCurdy, Marion Star / Marion Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
