Plant City’s core is very young — two sophomores, and a freshman. That freshman, Lacey Hargrove, had herself a solid week to close out the school’s best season since 2007: Hargrove’s 13 points led her team in a 36-32 loss to Riverview, and she scored 16 to help the Lady Raiders beat Durant, 50-42, Jan. 27.
Tell me about the Durant game.
As a team, we worked hard. Without my team, I couldn’t make the shots. I scored 16 points, all because of their help.
What was working for you?
I would read the defense — if they were slacking off, if they would get too lazy, I would make a move. I would drive on them. I guess they got tired or something. And when they put pressure on me, I just passed it out, and we got the shot off.
What are you hoping to accomplish next year?
Sometimes, when we win games, we don’t feel like we have to play as hard the next game. We need to work harder. In the offseason, I want to work on my shot a little bit. I’m working on keeping my arm straight, so that I can make more shots.
What’s your inspiration for playing basketball?
I’m motivated, because as a kid, I had a coach tell me I wasn’t going to be anything. That just motivated me to be better. I wanted to show him that I could be the best, and now he sees me a lot now, and he’s like, ‘Oh, you’ve improved!’”
Do you have any favorite basketball players?
Michael Jordan. He showed me to never give up — he didn’t make it in one of his high school years. He motivated me to keep pushing so I could become what I want to become. That’s a player in the WNBA.
What are some of your hobbies outside of basketball?
I like tennis, but I’m not very good at it. I used to run track and play soccer. Every school sport for middle school. I like to exercise and keep my shape up for when I come back to basketball. I watch YouTube videos to make my handles better.
