A strong defensive second half by Mount Gilead’s girls’ basketball team allowed them to improve to 4-5 at the expense of visiting Utica.
In their 44-32 victory, the Indians had to make adjustments after an often-rocky first half that saw the team deal with foul trouble.
“In the first half, neither team was sure how to play defense,” said head coach Bob Scott. “It was kind of a disjointed game. The flow wasn’t very good. We figured out how to win. This was the first time we played much 2-3.”
MG got out to a fast start in the game, getting baskets from Faith White and Greer Simpson to lead 4-0. However, they would watch Utica score 12 of the next 16 points to surge in front before getting a score from Madilyn Elson to stay within a 12-10 margin going into the second.
The two teams would also play evenly in the second quarter, with the Indians breaking an 18-18 tie in the final seconds when Aubrey Thomas hit one of two free throws.
It looked like the third period would be more of the same, as Utica opened the period with a free throw from Delaney Kerstetter and a basket from Abby Dickson to regain the lead at 21-19. However, Mount Gilead would respond with a run to take the advantage again — this time for good.
Two baskets by Elson put MG in front 23-21 and both Simpson and Grace Shipman added a pair of free throws to add four points to that lead.
“We worked through foul trouble,” said Scott of his team’s second-half resilience. “We didn’t have anyone foul out. Sometimes, I could see some frustration out there. It’s a learning experience.”
The Indians maintained a six-point lead throughout the quarter, leading 33-27 going into the fourth. They would quickly boost that advantage to double digits behind two free throws from Thomas and a steal and score from Elson. From there, Utica wouldn’t get any closer than an eight-point margin the rest of the way, as the Indians earned the win.
Elson led the way with 14 points in the game, while Shipman contributed nine and Simpson scored eight. With an inexperienced team this year, Scott felt his team’s win provided a good learning experience.
“I told them after the game that every game is a learning experience,” he said. “You figure out things you can do and plays you can make to win.”
