Mt. Pleasant girls adapt quickly, find new ways to win

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, December 20, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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The post-Tiffany Zelmore era could have begun a number of ways at Mt. Pleasant.

But five wins in the first six games? Not even coach Scott Giacobbi saw that coming.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Giacobbi, who is in his 19th season leading the girls. “I knew it would take some time to figure out our identity.

“With this team, it’s about finding a way to get the job done.”

Zelmore graduated as the program’s second-leading career scorer with 1,629 points. She scored well over half of the team’s points last year.

But four starters returned, so Giacobbi wasn’t pacing with nervousness, aside from the normal new-season jitters.

While games have not been pretty at times — they beat Yough, 32-28, South Allegheny, 25-23, and Southmoreland, 38-14 — the team isn’t worried about vanity.

The Vikings (5-1) are averaging just 32 points a game and have yet to top 46. Yet, they took a five-game winning streak into Wednesday’s Section 3-3A opener at Burrell.

The Vikings were supposed to play unbeaten McGuffey (4-0) Monday, but the game was postponed because of snow.

Mt. Pleasant might not have the best-decorated house on the block for Christmas time, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking curb appeal.

“There has been some adversity in games, but we have been able to do enough,” Giacobbi said. “We haven’t scored a lot but we have played enough good defense. We’ve been able to set the condition of games with our defense.”

Senior point guard Riley Gesinski has been a pace-setter on both ends of the floor. The top scorer at around 11 points per game, she is joined by juniors Kayla Rumbaugh and Nina Province and sophomores Morgan Gesinski and Grace Arrigo.

“We have been able to mix it up (defensively), Giacobbi said. “We have been able to play a variety of ways and keep teams off balance.”

Gesinski, a soccer standout, said the low-scoring games are akin to 1-0 games in soccer where defense takes priority.

“None of us want to lose, so we do what it takes to keep the other team from scoring,” Gesinski said. “We’re working together to help on defense.”

When Arrigo fouled out against Ringgold, Giacobbi thought the team might fold. But they hung on for a 45-44 win.

“Grace is averaging double-digit rebounds,” the coach said. “I thought we’d cash it in. But we found ways to get Riley to the foul line. Riley made a key stop when we beat South Allegheny.”

Sophomore guard Carmella Spallone also has been a factor with some key shots, while some sophomores and freshmen have blended in off the bench.

“I’m cautiously optimistic moving forward,” Giacobbi said. “There is a lot of parity in our section.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Mt. Pleasant