The calendar had to turn before the Mount Vernon boys’ basketball team lost its first game, dropping a 59-56 game to Class 5A Cedar Rapids Washington on Saturday, Jan. 4, in Mount Vernon.
“Washington is an athletic, good-coached team,” junior Kellen Haverback said. “If you run into a team like that, you have to respond, and we didn’t have that tonight.”
Mount Vernon (7-1) led most of the first half and were up 29-28 at halftime.
But Washington (4-4) opened the second half on a 11-0 run.
“That was the difference,” Mount Vernon coach Derek Roberts said. “Credit to Wash, they threw a few things at us that threw us off.”
One of the things the Warriors had was freshman phenom Traeshon Fields, who finished with a game-high 24 points. He had a 3-pointer and a steal/layup during that 11-0 run.
“They came out with energy,” Haverback said. “We didn’t come out with the same intensity and it showed.
“Once you get in those holes, it is hard to get out of them.”
The Mustangs put together a 7-0 run to close the third quarter, with driving baskets by Seth Rushford and Haverback, and a three-point play by Joe Briesemeister.
The Warriors, up 45-44 heading to the final quarter, got a pair of shots from Fields during a 7-0 run to open the fourth.
Briesemeister had another offensive putback and foul shot with 2:13 left to cut the lead to one, 54-53, but Jefferson reserve Chuck Crawley came up with a clutch 3-pointer, his first trey of the season (he had been 0 for 8).
Haverback had a banked 3-pointer with about 20 seconds left to make it a one-score game, 59-56, but the Mustangs could not connect on a last-second 3, with Briesemeister’s attempt clanging off the rim.
“I was just looking to the next shot,” Haverback said of his banked 3-pointer. “We still needed one more. I was hoping to hit the next one and send it to overtime.”
Briesemeister had 17 points off the bench to lead the Mustangs. Haverback had 16 points and Cole Thurn had seven points and seven rebounds..
“A couple times there were loose balls we didn’t get to, they secured them, and got the layup,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to finish plays and secure the ball.”
Mount Vernon got back into Wamac play with a trip to South Tama (0-7) on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and host Vinton-Shellsburg (6-2) on Friday, Jan. 10.
“This is where you see what type of team you are,” Haverback said.
C.R. WASHINGTON (59) – Traeshon Fields 9-21 2-4 24, Preston Haefner 0-3 0-0 0, John Moore 3-5 0-0 6, William Rahe 3-10 2-4 10, Brian Robertson 4-7 0-0 8, Javion Seals 1-3 0-0 2, Chuck Crawley 4-6 0-0 9, Zaccai Walters-Poage 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-54 4-8 59.
MOUNT VERNON (56) – Luke Rushford 1-9 2-2 4, Cole Thurn 3-5 1-1 7, Kellen Haverback 6-18 3-4 16, AJ McDermott 0-1 0-0 0, Brogan Meyer 3-6 2-2 8, Seth Rushford 2-7 0-0 4, Joe Briesemeister 6-13 4-4 17, Maddox Thede 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 21-61 12-13 56.
C.R. Washington 16 12 17 14 – 59
Mount Vernon 18 11 15 12 – 56
3-point goals – CRW 7-23 (Fields 4-12, Rahe 2-6, Seals 0-2, Crawley 1-3), MV 2-18 (L.Rushford 0-5, Haverback 1-4, McDermott 0-1, S.Rushford 0-4, Briesemeister 1-4). Rebounds – CRW 37 (Haefner 9), MV 35 (Thurn 7). Turnovers – CRW 15, MV 12. Total fouls – CRW 14, MV 11.