For Mount Vernon, most of the season has been about getting the gang back together.
Plagued by injuries and some inconsistency, the Mustangs are finally playing together, and it showed in a 61-54 win over Grinnell Friday, Feb. 9, in Mount Vernon.
“I think it’s been three games where we’ve had everyone we’re supposed to,” Mount Vernon coach Derek Roberts said. “Hopefully it can stay that way for the rest of the way.”
On senior night, Jackson Kutcher delivered a 28-point performance, after missing several games with injury. Fellow senior Joey Rhomberg added 11 points and eight rebounds, and junior Joe Briesemeister had 15 points.
“Me and Joey have played together all four years, and we’ve probably played together 12 or 13 games,” Kutcher said. “I’m hurt. He’s hurt. It keeps going back and forth.
“It is frustrating, but hopefully we’re past it.”
It seemed like more of the same when Rhomberg limped off after dishing an assist to Kutcher to open the second half. Grinnell had led at halftime 34-31.
Here we go again.
“Every single time I think that,” Kutcher said. “Every time one of us gets healthy, the other one goes down.”
Kutcher didn’t let it bother him.
The senior kickstarted a 12-0 run with a 3-pointer, a driving lay-up, and what he said was his first career 4-point play.
“That felt pretty good,” Kutcher said. “It was a pretty big energy booster.”
Mount Vernon went from down four to up eight, and then led 49-42 going into the final quarter.
And Rhomberg returned to the court after missing just a few minutes of action.
“We kind of assume someone is going to come out,” Roberts said. “Oliver Hinrichs came in and played his butt off. He’s a senior who knows what he is doing and gave us valuable minutes.”
The upside to Rhomberg and Kutcher missing time, is other players have been forced into bigger roles. Sophomore Kellen Haverback scored a team-best 21 points in a 58-38 win over West Delaware on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
Mount Vernon also lost in overtime to No. 6 Marion on Thursday, Feb. 8, 66-60.
The Mustangs (13-7) closed the regular season with a non-conference road game at Washington on Tuesday, Feb. 13, and were awaiting their postseason assignment.
Mustangs 58, Hawks 38
WEST DELAWARE (38) – Levi Wilson-Bries 2-9 1-2 5, Seth Jackson 4-11 2-2 10, Conrad Smith 3-5 3-4 9, Keagan Jackson 1-1 0-0 3, Griffin Lott 4-5 2-5 10, Keegan Carnicle 0-6 1-2 1, Boston McAulay 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 14-39 9-15 38.
MOUNT VERNON (58) – Cooper Parks 4-5 1-3 9, Kellen Haverback 7-13 2-4 21, Oliver Hinrichs 0-1 0-0 0, Joey Rhomberg 2-5 2-3 6, Joe Briesemeister 4-8 4-4 12, Gabe Fairchild 0-1 0-0 0, Cole Thurn 1-2 0-0 2, Stratton Ellyson 0-0 0-0 0, AJ McDermott 0-0 0-0 0, Seth Rushford 2-3 0-0 6, Jonah Williams 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 21-39 9-14 58.
West Delaware 10 7 7 14 – 38
Mount Vernon 20 10 7 21 – 58
3-point goals – WD 1-12 (Wison-Bries 0-3, S.Jackson 0-5, K.Jackson 1-1, Lott 0-1, McAulay 0-2), MV 7-14 (Parks 0-1, Haverback 5-6, Rhomberg 0-2, Briesemeister 0-1, Fairchild 0-1, Rushford 2-3). Rebounds – WD 18 (Lott 4), MV 23 (Briesemeister 8). Assists – WD 7, MV 9. Turnovers – WD 18, MV 22. Total fouls – WD 13, MV 19.
Wolves 66, Mustangs 60 (OT)
MOUNT VERNON (60) – Joe Rhomberg 9-15 3-4 24, Cooper Parks 2-9 6-8 12, Kellen Haverback 3-15 1-1 8, Joe Briesemeister 3-6 0-2 6, Seth Rushford 2-6 0-0 5, Gabe Fairchild 1-2 0-0 3, Cole Thurn 1-1 0-1 2, Stratton Ellyson 0-0 0-0 0, Oliver Heinrichs 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-54 10-16 60.
MARION (66) – Austin Goodrich 6-17 2-4 17, Jordan Fischer 6-12 2-2 19, Josh Noll 2-8 0-0 5, Grayson Kirsch 4-8 1-2 9, Kylar Whitman 3-4 3-3 9, Jaryn Griffith 0-2 0-0 0, Tyler Farber 2-4 0-0 5, Tait Rahe 0-1 0-0 0, Kaleb Diers 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 23-57 10-13 66.
Mount Vernon 16 14 17 9 4 — 60
Marion 21 9 11 15 10 — 66
3-point goals – MV 8-21 (Rhomberg 3-6, Parks 2-2, Haverback 1-8, Briesemeister 0-1, Rushford 1-3, Fairchild 1-1), Marion 10-26 (Goodrich 3-9, Fischer 5-8, Noll 1-3, Kirsch 0-1, Griffith 0-2, Farber 1-2, Rahe 0-1). Rebounds – MV 31 (Parks 10), Marion 31 (Kirsch 7). Assists – MV 11 (Thurn 4), Marion 14 (Fischer 4, Noll 4). Turnovers – MV 17, Marion 9. Total fouls – MV 17, Marion 17. Fouled out – Noll.
Mustangs 61, Tigers 54
GRINNELL (54) – Jack Hoopes 0-2 0-0 0, Carson Penyich 9-14 3-5 21, Cole Blackford 6-16 2-2 16, Derek Doty 4-12 0-0 11, Braden Johnson 2-5 1-2 5, Trenton Scheck 0-1 1-2 1, Jase Koester 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-50 7-11 54.
MOUNT VERNON (61) – Jackson Kutcher 8-13 7-7 28, Joe Briesemeister 6-8 3-4 15, Joe Rhomberg 4-7 3-4 11, Cooper Parks 2-4 0-0 4, Kellen Haverback 1-6 1-2 3, Gage Fairchild 0-0 0-0 0, Cole Thurn 0-1 0-0 0, Seth Rushford 0-1 0-0 0, Oliver Heinrichs 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-41 14-17 61.
Grinnell 18 16 8 12 – 54
Mount Vernon 13 18 18 12 – 61
3-point goals – Grinnell 5-15 (Blackford 2-7, Doty 3-7, Scheck 0-1), MV 5-11 (Kutcher 5-8, Rhomberg 0-1, Parks 0-1, Haverback 0-1). Rebounds – Grinnell 21 (Johnson 8), MV 28 (Rhomberg 8). Assists – Grinnell 14 (Blackford 7), MV 14 (Haverback 6). Turnovers – Grinnell 11, MV 15. Total fouls – Grinnell 19, MV 13.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Mount Vernon senior Joey Rhomberg takes a shot against Grinnell senior Braden Johnson on Friday, Feb. 9, in Mount Vernon.