The education didn’t stop at the end of the school day Friday for the Mount Vernon boys’ basketball team.
The Mustangs got plenty of learning in a pair of losses to Mississippi Valley Conference teams, falling to Dubuque Wahlert, 53-42, on Friday night, and to Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 51-44, on Saturday afternoon.
“We have some guys without a lot of experience on the varsity level, and I thought they came out and competed hard,” Mount Vernon Coach Derek Roberts said after the Wahlert game. “That’s all we can ask out of them.”
Against the Golden Eagles, the Mustangs opened up the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers from Joey Rhomberg and Kellen Haverback to go up one, 24-23.
But then Wahlert got the lead back, and Rhomberg picked up his fourth foul with 5:00 left in the third quarter. Not ideal.
“That’s an all-conference guy right there,” junior Joe Briesemeister said. “Him having four fouls, it doesn’t help. We’re a really young team right now and we struggle when Joey is not on the floor. We really need him out there.”
Wahlert finished the third quarter on a 14-5 run.
“It was good for those guys to get out there and see that,” Roberts said. “We’ll learn from our mistakes. We’ll watch film and get better.”
Mount Vernon managed to cut the lead to five, 47-42, on a pair of Briesemeister foul shots and a bucket by Cole Thurn, but the Golden Eagles hit 6-of-8 at the foul line in the final minute.
“Just like every game, we’re going to fight hard,” Briesemeister said. “Win or lose, we learn a lot from this game. And we’re going to take that going forward.”
Despite his foul trouble, Rhomberg led the Mustangs with 14 points. Briesemeister added 12 points and Parks had seven points and eight rebounds.
The next day, the J-Hawks pushed away late to top the Mustangs in Cedar Rapids.
Haverback led the way with 13 points, with Briesemeister adding 12 and Rhomberg 11.
Mount Vernon (0-2) returned to action with a game at Benton Community on Tuesday, Dec. 5, and host Vinton-Shellsburg on Friday, Dec. 8.
Golden Eagles 53, Mustangs 42
DUBUQUE WAHLERT (53) – Spencer Cummer 2-4 0-2 5, Charlie Becker 7-10 2-6 16, Ethan Meyer 4-8 6-8 14, Owen McCleary 2-7 3-6 7, Will Richardson 0-0 0-0 0, Dylan Kern 0-0 0-0 0, Luke Welbes 2-9 1-2 5, Christopher Schmitt 0-0 0-0 0, Greg Smith 2-5 0-0 6. Totals 19-43 12-24 53.
MOUNT VERNON (42) – Joe Rhomberg 5-13 1-1 14, Joe Briesemeister 2-9 8-9 12, Cooper Parks 2-10 2-2 7, Kellen Haverback 2-11 0-0 6, Cole Thurn 1-2 0-0 2, Jonah Williams 0-0 1-2 1, Stratton Ellyson 0-0 0-0 0, Gabe Fairchild 0-0 0-0 0, Oliver Heinrichs 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 12-46 12-14 42.
Dubuque Wahlert 13 10 14 16 — 53
Mount Vernon 13 5 11 13 — 42
3-point goals – DW 3-11 (Cummer 1-2, Becker 0-1, Meyer 0-1, McCleary 0-1, Welbes 0-2, Smith 2-4), MV 6-27 (Rhomberg 3-9, Briesemeister 0-4, Parks 1-4, Haverback 2-9, Thurn 0-1). Rebounds – DW 29 (Meyer 11), MV 30 (Parks 8). Assists – DW 15 (Meyer 8), MV 7. Turnovers DW 7, MV 14. Total fouls – DW 17, MV 20. Fouled out – Rhomberg, Parks.
J-Hawks 51, Mustangs 44
MOUNT VERNON (44) – Kellen Haverback 3-12 4-4 13, Joe Briesemeister 5-10 0-0 12, Joe Rhomberg 3-8 3-4 11, Cooper Parks 3-5 0-0 6, Jonah Williams 1-3 0-0 2, Stratton Ellyson 0-0 0-0 0, Gabe Fairchild 0-3 0-0 0, Cole Thurn 0-0 0-2 0, Oliver Heinrichs 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 15-42 7-10 44.
C.R. JEFFERSON (51) – Eric Smith 2-6 2-2 6, Preston Blanchett 4-10 2-2 10, LJ Nyenow 0-4 0-0 0, Dayten Guy 1-8 1-2 3, Khai Gatewood 4-9 3-6 11, Tyler Huston 0-3 0-0 0, Jeremiah Peiffer 0-0 0-0 0, Jamie Kaiser 7-9 2-2 21. Totals 18-49 10-14 51.
Mount Vernon 14 30 – 44
C.R. Jefferson 16 35 – 51
3-point goals – MV 7-22 (Haverback 3-9, Briesenmeister 2-3, Rhomberg 2-5, Parks 0-1, Williams 0-1, Fairchild 0-3), CRJ 5-21 (Smith 0-1, Blanchett 0-3, Nyenow 0-2, Guy 0-6, Gatewood 0-2, Huston 0-2, Kaiser 5-5). Rebounds – MV 29 (Briesenmeister 10), CRJ 21 (Blanchett 6). Assists – MV 10 (Haverback 3), CRJ 9 (Gatewood 4). Turnovers – MV 22, CRJ 14. Total fouls – MV 17, CRJ 9.
MVBBB Agate Golden Eagles 53, Mustangs 42 DUBUQUE WAHLERT (53) – Spencer Cummer 2-4 0-2 5, Charlie Becker 7-10 2-6 16, Ethan Meyer 4-8 6-8 14, Owen McCleary 2-7 3-6 7, Will Richardson 0-0 0-0 0, Dylan Kern 0-0 0-0 0, Luke Welbes 2-9 1-2 5, Christopher Schmitt 0-0 0-0 0, Greg Smith 2-5 0-0 6. Totals 19-43 12-24 53. MOUNT VERNON (42) – Joe Rhomberg 5-13 1-1 14, Joe Briesemeister 2-9 8-9 12, Cooper Parks 2-10 2-2 7, Kellen Haverback 2-11 0-0 6, Cole Thurn 1-2 0-0 2, Jonah Williams 0-0 1-2 1, Stratton Ellyson 0-0 0-0 0, Gabe Fairchild 0-0 0-0 0, Oliver Heinrichs 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 12-46 12-14 42. Dubuque Wahlert 13 10 14 16 — 53 Mount Vernon 13 5 11 13 — 42 3-point goals – DW 3-11 (Cummer 1-2, Becker 0-1, Meyer 0-1, McCleary 0-1, Welbes 0-2, Smith 2-4), MV 6-27 (Rhomberg 3-9, Briesemeister 0-4, Parks 1-4, Haverback 2-9, Thurn 0-1). Rebounds – DW 29 (Meyer 11), MV 30 (Parks 8). Assists – DW 15 (Meyer 8), MV 7. Turnovers DW 7, MV 14. Total fouls – DW 17, MV 20. Fouled out – Rhomberg, Parks. J-Hawks 51, Mustangs 44 MOUNT VERNON (44) – Kellen Haverback 3-12 4-4 13, Joe Briesemeister 5-10 0-0 12, Joe Rhomberg 3-8 3-4 11, Cooper Parks 3-5 0-0 6, Jonah Williams 1-3 0-0 2, Stratton Ellyson 0-0 0-0 0, Gabe Fairchild 0-3 0-0 0, Cole Thurn 0-0 0-2 0, Oliver Heinrichs 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 15-42 7-10 44. C.R. JEFFERSON (51) – Eric Smith 2-6 2-2 6, Preston Blanchett 4-10 2-2 10, LJ Nyenow 0-4 0-0 0, Dayten Guy 1-8 1-2 3, Khai Gatewood 4-9 3-6 11, Tyler Huston 0-3 0-0 0, Jeremiah Peiffer 0-0 0-0 0, Jamie Kaiser 7-9 2-2 21. Totals 18-49 10-14 51. Mount Vernon 14 30 – 44 C.R. Jefferson 16 35 – 51 3-point goals – MV 7-22 (Haverback 3-9, Briesenmeister 2-3, Rhomberg 2-5, Parks 0-1, Williams 0-1, Fairchild 0-3), CRJ 5-21 (Smith 0-1, Blanchett 0-3, Nyenow 0-2, Guy 0-6, Gatewood 0-2, Huston 0-2, Kaiser 5-5). Rebounds – MV 29 (Briesenmeister 10), CRJ 21 (Blanchett 6). Assists – MV 10 (Haverback 3), CRJ 9 (Gatewood 4). Turnovers – MV 22, CRJ 14. Total fouls – MV 17, CRJ 9.
Mount Vernon junior Joey Rhomberg tries to drive though the Dubuque Wahlert defense Friday, Dec. 1, in Mount Vernon.