No. 2 Mount Vernon started its January WaMaC gauntlet with a win, topping No. 14 Williamsburg, 52-39, on Friday, Dec. 5, in Mount Vernon.
Up next is No. 2 (4A) Clear Creek-Amana (if it was not snowed out), followed by No. 10 (4A) Marion, and then No. 1 (3A) Solon.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Mount Vernon junior Sydney Huber said. “It’ll test us and get us ready for the end of the season.”
Mount Vernon (11-0) raced out to a 13-3 lead after one quarter on its home court, and was never really in serious danger Friday.
“For us, the big thing was, we knew they were good stand still shooters,” Mount Vernon Coach Nate Sanderson said. “And they knocked down some 3s. But I thought, especially second quarter, third quarter, we did a nice job of just really trying to make them rush a little bit.”
The Raiders tested a few drives into the paint early against Chloe Meester and Brynley Rasmussen, then quickly gave up that idea.
“Not very many teams in our league have one six-footer, let alone two,” Sanderson said. “Certainly, that’s a luxury for us.”
Courtney Franck competed a 3-point play with 1.5 seconds left in the second quarter and the Mustangs took a 27-19 lead into half.
Williamsburg (5-4) did hit some 3-pointers, seven in total, but never enough to cause concern.
Mount Vernon was led by Huber, who tied a season-high with 20 points.
She has been the leading scorer the last three games.
“It is nice to see her aggressive and going to the basket,” Sanderson said. “She’s scoring on the post up, too, and her 3-point shot, she’s our best shooter pretty consistently.
“She’s had it going here the last four games or so. That makes us even tougher.”
Huber said she has been doing what the team needs.
“I was just trying to make the right play,” Huber said. “Just whatever we need at that moment. I’d rather pass and let them shoot it.”
Huber thinks the offense has taken several big steps forward from where they started in November.
“I think we’ve come a long ways from the beginning,” Huber said. “We were all just getting used to what we are supposed to do. We’ve come a long way.”
Mount Vernon senior Brynley Rasmussen and Williamsburg senior Lexie Iburg battle for the basketball Friday, Jan. 5, in Mount Vernon.