WMVO Good Times Great Oldies
The Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets came into their tournament opener at “The Hive” having lost the last two regular season games and 3 of their last 4 and unfortunately for them they couldn’t right the ship in time to move on to a District Final in Division Two.
The Jackets, playing in a District Semifinal Monday Night fell 55-48 to Worthington Kilbourne to end the season 12-11. The Jackets got a free throw to open the scoring but Evan Shutte got on the board for the Wolves to take a lead but ten seconds later Mount Vernon Senior Nikos Giakoumas got a bucket to go to go up 3-22 with 552 left in the period. Zach Wolford scored a two and hit 1/2 free throws to give the Wolves at two point lead at the 325 mark but Isiah Columber nailed a three to go up 6-5 13 seconds later. Trace Beck of Mount Vernon, who left the game 11 seconds in after appearing to injury his knee, came back in minutes later and extended the Jackets lead to 8-5 with 156 left but Shutte got a three to tie the game up before Zane Barber scored with 58 seconds left and Mount Vernon was up 10-8. Cam Fisher hit a three with 40 seconds left in the period and the Wolves led 11-10 after one.
Wolves 6’5 center Cal Wolford opened the second quarter with back to back scores before Quentin Rowland hit a pair of free throws to cut into the lead. Luke Page got a bucket and was fouled but missed the free throw for the Wolves to make it 17-12 he scored again with 441 left in the first half to push the lead to 19-12. Isiah Columber hit a three but Tate Rich answered with a two for the Wolves before Zach Wolford scored with 137 left in the half to give the Wolves a 23-15 halftime advantage. The Jackets went the final 4 minutes and 8 seconds of the half without scoring.
Cam Fisher and Zach Wolford each scored to open the third quarter and push the Wolves lead to 27-15. Barber and Zach Wolford traded baskets before Trace Beck hit a free throw to get the Jackets back within 11 at 29-18 with 541 left in the quarter. Isiah Columber then got an and one and Beck hit a three to pull the Jackets within 5 at 29-24 with 424 left in the half. Cal Wolford made one free throw before Columber drilled another 3 to close the gap to 30-27 with 257 remaining in the third. Cal Wolford got a free throw and Columber scored yet again but the Jackets would miss two free throws while the Wolves added one to lead 32-29 after three.
The fourth quarter opened with back to back Zach Wolford dunks, one with two hands and the other a one handed flush to got up 36-29. Brylan Brown followed with a bucket and pushed the lead to 9. Zane Barber for Mount Vernon scored but Zach Wolford quickly answered before Beck nailed a three and hit 1/2 from the line to get the Jackets within 40-35 with 455 left in the game. Zach Wolford got a put back to push the lead back to 42-35 before Barber hit a pair of free throws. Cal Wolford then broke the Jackets backs with back to back scores and the Wolves led 46-37 with 250 left. Nikos Giakoumas wasn’t giving in nor were the rest of the Jackets a score cut the lead to 7 before Page made 1/2 free throws and Giakoumas made 1/2 from the line. The lead was up to 50-40 with 49 seconds left after two Cam Fisher free throws. Barber scored to make it an 8 point game. Rich hit 1/2 from the line and Fisher made both of his from the stripe to lead 53-42. Columber hit a three to get it within 8 and before Rich got two free throws making it a ten point game. Barber would have an and one before the horn but the Jackets fell 55-48.
Zach Wolford unofficially had 18 points for the Wolves. Cal Wolford added 9 and Schutte and Page each had 5. Fisher had 9 and Rich ended up with 5.
Jackets were led by 14 for Columber, 13 for Barber, Beck had 10.
Worthington Kilbourne takes on Westerville Central Friday at 830pm in a District Final in Division Two at the Ohio Expo Center.