Girls basketball: Big second half carries Pleasant past Galion

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GALION — Pleasant scored forty points in the second half on its way to a 69-43 victory over Galion in Mid Ohio Athletic Conference play on Tuesday evening.

Kyla Columber and Whitney Waddell each scored 14 points to pace the Spartans. Columber and Waddell each knocked down two three-point shots. Olivia Pratt scored nine points on three triples and Maddie Simmons added eight points. The Spartans connected on 10 three-point field goals.

Natalee Perkins led Galion with 14 points, hitting four three-point field goals, and teammate Teanna Greter added 12 points. Dezi Lester added 10 points followed up by five points from Cameron Eckert and two points from Emma Jutz.

“We had three people in double-figures, that always good,” Galion head coach Shani Rush said. “We had some decent looks that weren’t able to fall.”

The game was tightly contested early. After a quarter, the Spartans led the Tigers 15-10. With just two minutes remaining in the quarter it was 6-6 and Pleasant went on a run led by two three-pointers by Emerson Williams.

In the second quarter, Pleasant was able to double-up Galion by scoring 14 points compared to seven for the Tigers. At halftime, the Spartans held a 29-17 advantage over the Tigers.

Galion turned the ball over seven times in the first half compared to three turnovers for Pleasant.

Pleasant stormed out of halftime to build a 38-20 by the 5:06 mark of the third quarter. By the end of the quarter, the Spartans held a 49-24 lead. Columber scored seven points in the quarter for Pleasant.

The lead was too much for Galion to overcome despite three three-point field goals from Perkins. Pleasant outscored Galion 20-19 in the final period to close out the game.

“We finally hit our shots (in the second half). I thought in the first half we were right there, but our shots just didn’t go in,” Rush said. “If our shots would have fallen we would have been right there.”

Pleasant (8-5, 6-2 MOAC) will go up against Marion County rival River Valley (7-4, 3-4 MOAC) on Friday at Caledonia.

Galion (4-11, 0-8 MOAC) is still chasing their first MOAC win of the season, a goal the team set prior to the start of the 2021-2022 campaign.

“Just keep showing up and working hard, that’s all I can ask of them,” Rush said.

Galion will make the always tough trip to Shelby on Friday to take on the undefeated Whippets (14-0, 8-0 MOAC).

The Tigers will play host to Highland on Tuesday, Jan. 25 and then travel to Ontario on Thursday, Jan. 27. Galion will wrap up regular season play with a home game against Bucyrus on Feb. 2 and road games on Feb. 4 at Pleasant and on Feb. 10 at River Valley.

Galion senior Natalee Perkins scored 14 points to lead the Tigers in a Mid Ohio Athletic Conference game against Pleasant on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. The Spartans scored 40 points in the second half to hand Galion a 69-43 defeat.
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2022/01/web1_b-011822j-PLE-at-GHS-gbb_0050-1.jpgGalion senior Natalee Perkins scored 14 points to lead the Tigers in a Mid Ohio Athletic Conference game against Pleasant on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. The Spartans scored 40 points in the second half to hand Galion a 69-43 defeat. Don Tudor | AIM Media Midwest

Galion’s Teanna Greter (33) looks for an open teammate during a Mid Ohio Athletic Conference game against Pleasant on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. Greter scored 12 points for the Tigers.
https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2022/01/web1_b-011822j-PLE-at-GHS-gbb_0076.jpgGalion’s Teanna Greter (33) looks for an open teammate during a Mid Ohio Athletic Conference game against Pleasant on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. Greter scored 12 points for the Tigers. Don Tudor | AIM Media Midwest

By Brandon Little

AIM Media Midwest

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