Mt. Pleasant girls can’t hold on in Ottumwa

OTTUMWA — The Mt. Pleasant girls basketball team held a halftime lead against an Ottumwa squad that finds itself above .500 this season, but in the end, the Panthers couldn’t hang on in a 47-44 loss.

After taking a 9-8 edge at the end of the first quarter, Mt. Pleasant led Ottumwa 20-17 at the halftime break. Ottumwa responded with a 17-point fourth quarter, which put the Bulldogs up 34-30 after three.

The two teams traded blows in a tight fourth quarter, but Mt. Pleasant didn’t get the bounces they needed down the stretch, and the Panthers failed to collect a third-straight win.

Andrea Lopreato and Tristian Shull coled Mt. Pleasant with 15 points each in the loss. Ottumwa sophomore Camdyn Curse put up 18.

The Panthers ended the regular season 11-11. They will now wait to see their first opponent in the Class 4A Regional tournament.