HART – For the last two seasons, Hart and MCC have been jockeying for positioning atop the WMC Rivers in girls basketball, with the Pirates getting the better of the Spartans. It seems the Pirates are on a different level than their rival this year, and that was evident in a 58-30 win Friday, Jan. 3.
A lack of presence in the post was a major factor for the Spartans in the loss. The departure of 6-foot-3-inch center Wren Nelson drastically changed the looks that MCC’s offense got, forcing them to play on the outside a bit more than usual. MCC senior guard Mallory Miller was able to take advantage of that, knocking down a pair of threes in the first quarter.
“It’s weird that we’re playing MCC and I feel like we have the size advantage,” Hart Head Coach Travis Rosema joked.
Hart maintained a 14-12 lead through that first period, but likely could have built a larger advantage, had they had their full lineup available. Sophomore Rilynn Porter and senior Breslyn Porter were not available, leaving the Pirates without two of their best ball handlers.
“I don’t necessarily love having a conference game over the holiday, because you’ve got people on vacation,” Rosema said. “We’re a team of 10 though. We had eight girls who had to step up and we had JV girls who sat on the bench and brought good energy.”
The absence of the Porter sisters, combined with a two week span with no games, forced the Pirates into struggles early. Hart was off balance on defense in the first half, allowing the Spartans to find easy lanes to the basket. MCC was also able to swap between a trio of defensive looks, which led to a rushed attack from Hart that often left the offense looking rushed.
Still, the Pirates carried a 20-18 lead into halftime. That was largely due to the play of sophomore Reese Smith, who carried Hart’s offense with eight points scored in the first 16 minutes.
“We’re a team of 10 and we have girls that can fill (Rilynn and Breslyn’s) role,” Smith said. “We have a feisty defense, so getting steals and transition layups (was big for us).”
Rosema’s squad established a rhythm in the third quarter, using Smith’s ability to get to the basket to extend their lead. With MCC’s Miller face guarding Addi Hovey, Smith was able to notch another eight points in the third, bringing her to 16 on the night.
Several others were also able to pick up critical baskets. Leah Walker, Alayna Schiller and Kelsey Copenhaver all helped build Hart to a 40-24 lead heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter was dominated by Hovey. On defense, the Hart senior caused disruption for MCC with five steals that turned into eight points in transition. Those eight points were scored in a string of six consecutive baskets from Hovey, leaving her with 11 total in the closing frame.
“Tonight was definitely a different role for me. (MCC) was boxing around me so it made it difficult, but I trust my teammates to score even when I can’t,” Hovey said. “I was able to take over in the second half and get some easy buckets. It’s all mental.”
Smith was the Pirate’s leading scorer with 20 points, adding five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Hovey’s big fourth quarter pushed her to 19 points to go along with nine steals, four rebounds and four assists. Copenhaver and Macy Riley led the team in rebounds with six each.
Hart pushed further ahead in the WMC Rivers with the win, remaining a perfect 3-0 in conference play and keeping themselves a step ahead of Shelby (6-1, 4-1 WMC Rivers). The Pirates also pushed their overall record to 6-1 on the year.
