It was a grinder for three-and-a-half quarters for the Mount Vernon boys’ basketball team Friday, Dec. 13, against Williamsburg.
Then sophomore sharpshooter Seth Rushford did what he does best.
“He’s been waiting for a moment like this,” Mount Vernon coach Derek Roberts said. “More good things are in store for him, but I’m happy he got to have that moment.”
That moment was most of the fourth quarter. The Mustangs were trailing 36-33 when Rushford hit the first of his four fourth-quarter 3-pointers.
Mount Vernon won 52-40 to improve to 4-0.
“He’s a guy that comes in, and if you give him an open shot, he’s going to knock it down,” senior Joe Briesemeister said. “He struggled early in the season, but this will give him confidence. When he gets those open shots, they’ll go in.”
The sophomore has a shooter’s mindset. He started the game 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.
“The first quarter, I airballed two in a row, I think,” Rushford said. “Then something just clicked. After I made 2, I knew it was trouble for the other team.”
Williamsburg went up 40-38 on a Dylan Weisskopf putback, then watched as Rushford hit three 3-pointers, and junior Kellen Haverback also sank one. That 9-0 run made it 47-40 and forced the Raiders to call a time out with 3:24 left.
And Haverback had also struggled early in the game, shooting 1-for-12 before getting hot late and finishing with 10 points.
Briesemeister, who carried the Mustangs early — scoring 15 of the team’s 20 points in the first half — finished with 19 points on 8-of-8 shooting and a team-high nine rebounds. Rushford had 14 points.
“That first half was rough. We had 14 turnovers and we just had to clean that up,” Briesemeister said. “Just make better decisions. I think that helped in the second half, just taking care of the basketball.”
Briesemeister is the centerpiece of an improving Mustang team. The 6-foot-6 post is the most experienced returner.
“If I keep us close, other guys are going to step up and make plays, and we’re going to win games,” Briesemeister said.
Limited to mostly post play as a junior, Briesemeister now takes 3-pointers (he made two Friday) and can bring the ball up like a point guard.
“I knew I’d have a big role, and I just try to lead,” Briesemeister said. “Bring energy. Stuff like that. If they need me at the 3-point line, that’s fine. Need me down low. Fine. It is an adjustment, but I love it.”
Earlier in the week, Mount Vernon beat Benton Community 56-42.
Haverback led that night with 25 points and seven rebounds, and Briesemeister had 16 points and seven rebounds. The Mustangs pulled away after leading 23-20 at halftime.