For a half, Platte County looked upset-minded and scrappy to finish a potential devastatingly difficult week of games.
Platte County junior guard Addie Ayers knocks a ball loose against Grain Valley on Friday night at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Grain Valley asserted dominance after halftime on the way to a 57-24 blowout victory Friday night at Pirate Fieldhouse in a lopsided result not necessarily indicative of the resistance faced. The Pirates’ inexperienced roster held an early lead and were within striking distance until the closing stretch of the second quarter against the defending Suburban Conference White Division champions.
Platte County (2-8) dropped three games this week against top tier Class 6 competition — North Kansas City, Liberty and Grain Valley — after going into the holiday break off of a much-needed win against Ruskin.
“I was very pleased with our effort in the first half,” Platte County coach Eric Mitchell said. “I thought the girls were locked on. We missed some shots that if they go down it’s an even tighter game than what it was at half. I thought we were playing hard. We did a great job on rebounding. Then the second half, it was not. We didn’t sustain it.”
Grain Valley (8-2) entered as the heavy favorites in the first of two conference matchups between the rivals this year but started slow.
Platte County used a third different starting lineup of the week and found a spark from junior forward Macy Doll, who split a pair of free throws early and scored the Pirates’ first three points. The Pirates led 1-0 and then 6-4 after senior guard Addie Ayers hit a contested 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Platte County junior forward Madeline Arthurs takes a shot against Grain Valley on Friday night at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Doll scored five of her team- and career-high seven points in the first quarter while making a second straight start.
“We’ve had a lot of different lineups. We’re still working to find that right combination,” Mitchell said. “Some years, you kind of have a combination you know you can go with and some years, you have to try and figure that out. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we can get that narrowed down.”
Grain Valley continued to lead for much of the first half but struggled to open up a gap.
Platte County sophomore Millie Parker added a 3-pointer in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 15-13 with 4 minutes, 40 seconds left before halftime, and Mitchell called a timeout to try and sustain the momentum. However, the Pirates ceded an 11-2 run to close the second quarter with senior Rylee Carr — the leading scorer this season — picking up a third foul in the closing stretch.
Grain Valley held Platte County scoreless in the third quarter and ended up ahead 50-15 before Parker hit her second 3 with 5:40 left in regulation.
“We addressed (the second half), and as a staff and players an a team, we’ve got to get that corrected and get better,” Mitchell said.
Platte County sophomore Millie Parker drives toward the basket against Grain Valley on Friday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Platte County returned only Carr and Ayers from last year’s roster, which produced a third straight season with a winning record. The Pirates’ have struggled to score, evidenced in the nonconference losses to North Kansas City (73-25) and Liberty (56-25) that preceded the matchup with Grain Valley.
Carr went scoreless against Grain Valley, while Ayers finished with just the one 3-pointer.
Platte County sophomore Madeline Arthurs, who made another start after coming off the bench against North Kansas City and Liberty, hit a jumper in the second quarter for her only two points, while freshmen Emma Schank (3-pointer) and Eva Bane (one two-point field goal) plus senior Emily Huehl (one free throw) all scored in the final 8 minutes as Mitchell used the scoreline as a reason to extend playing time to the majority of the roster.
Following the difficult stretch, Platte County plays at home Monday in conference play against Truman (4-7) before traveling to Belton (3-6) on Thursday.
“This is just a growth moment for our team that we have to understand we can play at this level and we do belong at this level,” Mitchell said. “And just mentally, we have to be able to deal with that, and it’s hard when you’re playing quality opponents every night this week. You’ve just got to keep responding.”
Platte County senior forward Rylee Carr goes up for a shot against Grain Valley on Friday night at Pirate Fieldhouse.
North Kansas City 73, Platte County 25
The Pirates opened the week with a second loss this season in matchups between the two teams — this one Monday at Pirate Fieldhouse.
North Kansas City (8-2) dominated from the outset and kept a pressing defense with players in the main rotation through the fourth quarter despite the lopsided score. The Hornets forced 19 turnovers and led 44-12 at halftime.
Carr, Doll and Parker scored five points apiece with Ayers adding four for Platte County, which went 0-for-11 on 3-point attempts. Platte County junior Maggie Davis, sophomore Delanie Hoefling and freshman Clare Stephens all finished with two points.
Stephens made the first of two straight starts at point guard.
Liberty 56, Platte County 25
The Pirates committed 29 total turnovers and couldn’t overcome a scoreless first quarter Wednesday night at Pirate Fieldhouse.
Ayers hit two of Platte County’s three 3-pointers and finished with a team-high eight points, while Carr added five and Doll and Parker four apiece. Stephens added a triple, while Schank split two free throws in the fourth quarter. The Pirates were down 29-11 at halftime with Ayers hitting both of her 3s in the second quarter.
