The Mount Vernon boys’ basketball team is now zero for two trying to knock off No. 6 Solon.

Junior Luke Rushford wants another crack at them.

“I’d love to play them in a substate final,” Rushford said. “We have enough good guys. We can get them.”

Solon proved too much on Friday, Jan. 23, in Mount Vernon, breaking loose in the third quarter and winning, 64-50.

“A lot of credit to Solon, they came out and pressured us, and made us uncomfortable,” Mount Vernon coach Derek Roberts said. “That is as good as I’ve seen them play defense.”

Unlike the first showdown in Solon, when the Spartans led by 20 at halftime, this time around they only led by two, 29-27.

The first half featured eight ties and nine lead changes.

The Mustangs (10-3, 7-3 WaMaC East) were ahead by four, 37-33, when the Spartans put together a 13-0 run midway through the third quarter.

Solon junior Maddox Kelley had eight points in that run. He finished with a game-high 24 points.

“Maddox Kelley really got going, and we couldn’t stop his drive,” Roberts said.

And unlike the first game in Solon, when senior Kellen Haverback put on his cape and started making 3-pointers all over the place in the fourth quarter to give Mount Vernon a chance late … there was no incredible comeback this day.

Maddox Thede made two straight three-point plays, the second off a Haverback steal, to cut the lead to five, 50-45 with 5:56 to play.

But Solon (14-0, 11-0) went on a 14-5 run to salt the game away. Kelley scored Solon’s final nine points.

“I’d say it was more we shot ourselves in the foot,” Rushford said. “We couldn’t get composed and come together.”

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Mount Vernon lost a close one at home against Marion, 54-53.

Haverback had 15 points, four rebounds and five assists, Luke Rushford added 13 points and Seth Rushford had nine points.

“We had some late-game stuff,” Roberts said. “Some free throws missed in the fourth quarter.”

The Mustangs did get to end the week on a positive note, beating Bondurant-Farrar 58-47 on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines.

Haverback had 25 points, five rebounds and five steals. The Mustangs had 15 steals as a team. Luke Rushford added 13 points.