Bob Scott, the coach of Mount Gilead girls’ basketball team, knows that if the program hopes to continue its winning ways of the recent past, it has some work to do.
This is Scott’s third year behind the bench directing the Lady Indians, and he said what they need right now is cohesion. They have started the season 3-4 and are 1-4 in KMAC play heading into a game Wednesday against undefeated Cardington-Lincoln.
Scott said, "We started slowly as some kids were in the state cross country tournament, and a couple of kids battled some illness. We lost a few kids due to illness and injury. Our (participation) numbers are a little down, but our kids that are there are putting a pretty good effort, and they’re trying. It’s hard right now because numbers-wise, we are short, though we do have a 12-girl roster.
“We know what we’d like to do,” he said. “Our girls work hard. We’re not very tall, so we have to kind of spread the floor out. We have to run and try to score off our defense.”
The team brought back eight returning players with four letter-winners, according to Scott.
Scott said he hopes point guard Madilyn Elson will continue to shoulder some of the load of facilitating the team’s scoring and assists. Elson scored 19 points in the Indians' recent game against Danville.
“I took over two years ago. My philosophy has always been to play man-to-man defense,” he said. “Two years ago, we had a girl who was really good, and she is playing in college right now (Maddie Fitzpatrick). I think she scored 1,300 points. Last year, I graduated another thousand-point scorer. Right now, we are looking to see who is going to be our scorer, and Elson fits that role nicely."
Scott, who played some small college basketball, began his coaching career more than 20 years ago and guided the team to a 16-7 record last year.
“We always want to be as successful as possible, but I never put a number on wins and losses,” he said. “Your first goal is to have a winning season and after that is to try and see how you can do past that. My first year, two years ago, we won more games than any team in school history (16-6).”
