Springfield is 6-10 this season and celebrated Senior Night on Monday with a 68-34 victory over Triad.
“The seniors have understood what their job is to do and that’s leave a good legacy behind so the kids behind them can see the work ethic they put in,” said Gaines, a 1992 South graduate. “I appreciate that they’ve taken me in and responded to change.”
»RELATED: Tuesday’s high school roundup
The senior class includes Amaya Barnes, Ja’Lyn Green, Leland Marshall, Camryn Nadir, Marjee’ Atkins and Mickayla Perdue, who began the season as a junior but reclassified in late December in order to begin her collegiate career a year early. The 5-foot-10 two-time All-Ohio guard verbally committed to the University of Toledo right before the season began.
The Wildcats started the season 2-6 as it adjusted to Gaines’ uptempo style of play in the tough Greater Western Ohio Conference American Division, which includes two teams ranked in the top-10 in Division I in second-ranked Wayne and eighth-ranked Fairmont.
“It took awhile to see how they wanted to play,” Gaines said. “They were so used to one person doing it. We put in a system where everybody can get theirs, but we’re smart, too … Our best player is definitely going to touch the ball, but we like everybody getting a touch and that’s something that probably didn’t happen as much last year.”
The improvement is starting to show. Springfield has won four of its last eight games. The senior class cheered as several of the younger players made baskets down the stretch against Triad.
“My younger kids are starting to develop and look for their shots, something that we didn’t do previously,” Gaines said. “We’re headed in the right direction. I’m excited about the future.”
Perdue, a three-year starter, scored 33 points on Senior Night in front of Rockets head coach Tricia Cullop. She’s set the single-game scoring mark three times in her career, most recently going for 46 points against Belmont on Jan. 13.
Through Monday’s games, Perdue is averaging 22.1 points per game, the best in the GWOC. She led the conference in scoring last season at 20.8 ppg.
Perdue has also given back to the community that supported her as a young player, Gaines said.
“She’s left an incredible imprint, not just for Springfield girls basketball, but the Springfield community,” Gaines said. “I think what people don’t know is that she always goes down to the middle school and helps out. The kids all look up to her. If you would see her work ethic and see the work she’s put in to get to this point, all you can do is learn from it. … Hopefully it feeds into our other kids. She’s set an excellent example for not only herself, but her family. They’re good people and they’ve built that in her.”
She plans to continue that work during her collegiate career whenever she’s back in Springfield, she said.
“It’s really a blessing to be able to give back,” Perdue said.
The focus, however, remains on finishing the season strong, she said.
“It was an unexpected senior year, but we’ve got six games left,” Perdue said. “We’re going to go as hard as we can and end it on a good note.”
About the Author