MP girls win in double overtime

FT. MADISON -- The Mt. Pleasant girls' basketball team had to sweat out two overtimes to earn their first win of the year on Friday night. The Panthers outlasted Ft. Madison 55-54 to gain a little momentum before 2019.

Mt. Pleasant had a rough start offensively. The Panthers scored just two points in the first quarter, and trailed 8-2 after one period and 22-15 at halftime.

The Panthers came storming back in the second half. Mt. Pleasant won the third quarter 10-6 to cut the Bloodhounds' lead to 28-25 after three quarters. The Panthers took their first lead of the game at 41-40 with two minutes left, but Ft. Madison came back to tie the game, and the two teams went to overtime tied 43-43.

The first overtime was relatively high-scoring, with both teams scoring eight points to bring it to 51-51 and another overtime. Just seven points total were scored in the second OT, as Mt. Pleasant took it 4-3 to win by one point.

Sadie Carrasco led the Panthers with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Maddie Williamson scored 14. Elli Liechty and Emma Huckabone had six each. Karsyn Lamm scored five, and both Isabel Ashton and Sydni Coleman ended the night with two.

The Panthers moved to 1-8 overall and 1-2 in the Southeast Conference. They'll look to make it two in a row on Friday, Jan. 4, when they host Washington.