Hardison’s growth leads to chance at UPG

By JEREMY SELLEW

jsellew@yourmvi.com

Over the past two seasons, Monessen’s Qitarah Hardison did a lot of growing up on and off the court. 

Now she’s turned it into an opportunity to play collegiately.

Hardison, a Mon Valley Independent-BeeGraphix Super 6 first-team performer, will play college basketball at Pitt-Greensburg.

Hardison, who had a streak of 12 straight double-doubles this season, will enroll in the fall. Her accomplishment is something Greyhounds head coach Janine Vertacnik is hoping will serve as motivation for younger players.

“I think it just shows that even if you’re not the big scorer on the team, other things get noticed,” Vertacnik said. 

The coach met up with her senior forward recently to present her with a commemorative basketball highlighting her milestone of more than 1,000 career rebounds.

“I’ve always tried to recognize my girls,” Vertacnik said. “She didn’t get to have her awards day at school with everything being shut down, so I wanted to meet up with her to give her the ball.

“That’s a great accomplishment, getting 1,000 rebounds. That takes a lot of hard work. That’s the trench work. She earned all of her points getting those rebounds and putting them back up to the basket. I think 16 out of our 22 games she had a double-double.”

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