FORT MADISON - Flowers were laid on the empty chair that should have held former Fort Madison Coach Tony Sargent Friday night in the Hound Dome.
Then the Fort Madison Lady Hounds went out and got a big 41-36 win over Mt. Pleasant to move to 3-0 on the year.
Head Coach Toni Sargent was emotional before, during, and after the game taking over where her father left off and ushering in the big Southeast Conference win.
"He was on my shoulder," she said after the game. "We came out to Glory Days. He played that every day before a game. We played it as he took his last breath.
"I was prepared. It was our first home game and I knew it would be an emotional night, for not only me, but for the girls."
Senior Irelynd Sargent, Tony Sargent's other daughter on the floor, said she was emotional at the start, but then racked up Fort Madison's first seven points.
"It was hard at the beginning and we all wanted to win it for him. My adrenaline was pumping and I was like we cannot lose this game. It's our first home game and first conference game and we just wanted to do it for him," Sargent said.
Sargent scored in transition to open the game and then converted a 3-pointer in the next trip down to give Fort Madison a quick 5-1 lead.
She would score again following a bucket by the Panthers' Alex Scott for a 7-3 lead. Senior Molly Knipe would get in on the action next with a 3-ball from the right wing for a 10-3 lead.
The Panthers would close out the first quarter with a 7-3 run of their own keyed by an Andi Scott three-pointer.
Fort Madison's Camille Kruse would work a bucket inside at the buzzer for a 13-10 lead.
Mt. Pleasant tied things up at 16 with 5:12 left in the second quarter when Andrea Lapreato hit a 12-footer and then went up 19-16 on Lapreato's 3-ball on the Panthers' next possession.
Fort Madison would respond in the see-saw affair going on a 7-2 run of their own to take a 23-21 lead into the lockerroom.
Kate Schimmelpfennig scored on the Panthers' first possession of the second half to tie things up again. Fort Madison shot a cool 1-9 from the field in the third quarter, but was able to hang around with 4-of-9 shooting from the line.
Fortunately for Fort Madison, the Panthers also shot poorly from the field going just 3 for 9. Mt. Pleasant got to the line just four times, converting one, to hold a slim 31-30 lead going into the final period.
Kruse shifted from a perimeter game to driving the lane and was able to get to the line often with the Hounds in the double bonus for most of the period.
The cool shooting from the floor continued for both teams down the stretch as Fort Madison went just 2 of 12 from the field and the Panthers were 2 of 11.
Alex Scott converted the front end of a one-and-one to cut the lead to one at 35-34, but Kruse would finally get one to drop off a drive in the lane to give Fort Madison a 3-point lead. The Panthers' Alexa Fuller converted inside on a fast break to again cut it to 1 at 37-36 with 2:19 left.
Fort Madison would not allow the Panthers to score another point, pulling away for the win in the final two minutes.
Toni Sargent said the Hounds need to shoot better, but with the emotion of the night, she took the win.
"We came out really good and were on fire and hitting on all cylinders, then a couple key girls got some early fouls. Irelynd picked up her second one quick and had to sit most of the second quarter," Sargent said.
"I know we missed a whole lot of bunnies tonight and we had a lot of shots go in and out, but it was a physical game and I wasn't even sure how the girls would do. It was very emotional and a win's a win."
Kruse led Fort Madison with 12 points and six boards. Sargent had 10 points and seven steals, while Aija Jenkins added nine points and Knipe had 5.
The Hounds host Danville Monday night.
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