The Mount Vernon varsity girls basketball team picked up a key win last Friday on the road, as the Mustangs traveled to Beckman Catholic for a WaMaC East Division showdown.
The Trailblazers came into the game having lost five of their last six games, but were celebrating their senior night, and, as Mustangs head coach Nate Sanderson put it, “We knew we would be in for a battle.”
Mount Vernon jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter while holding the Blazers scoreless for the first seven minutes of the game. Meanwhile, the Mustangs built a 10-0 advantage.
Beckman Catholic overtook the visiting team in the second period, outdoing them 17-11 and going into the half having climbed within two points at 21-19. Liz Dougherty, a Mustang senior, found herself with three fouls before halftime, and “we struggled to find a rhythm offensively,” Sanderson said.
Brynley Rasmussen filled in for Dougherty, scoring eight points on 3-6 shooting. Sanderson said the sophomore “play admirably.”
In the third period, the Mustangs once again stretched their advantage to double-digits, and were up 38-26 with just over a minute remaining in the quarter.
“To Beckman’s credit, they turned up the defensive pressure and held us scoreless for the next five minutes,” said Sanderson.
The effort allowed the Blazers to inch back into the contest, cutting the Mustang lead down to 38-35 with four minutes left in the game.
Luckily, Sanderson indicated, “we were able to execute down the stretch.”
The game was sealed in the final minutes as Rasmussen and Peyton Simpson converted crucial free throws.
Simpson, a sophomore, led all scorers with 17 points. Dougherty added six points and eight rebounds. Kameron Brand chipped in with six assists.
Another key factor in the win was Mount Vernon’s three-point prowess. The team shot 7-17 Friday, a percentage of 41.2. On average, the Mustangs hit 37.7 percent from beyond the arc this season, ranking them first in Class 3A, and rather comfortably. Second place, Sheldon, is 6.2 percent less accurate at 31.5.
The victory allowed the Mustangs to keep pace with Solon for second place in the division, heading into the final regular season game. The team improved their record to 11-9.
Mount Vernon faces off against Independence Saturday, Feb. 12, in Class 3, Region 5 post-season play to be played at Mount Vernon. If Mount Vernon wins, they advance to the Feb. 16 game at Roland Story High School against the winner of Roland-Story and South Tama. The final for the region will be played Saturday, Feb. 19.