WMVO Good Times Great Oldies
The Mount Vernon came into Wednesday’s home opener for boys basketball with quite a bit of confidence following a big road win at Centerburg to open the season but despite leading most the night at The Hive the Jackets fell to the Highland Scots 41-38.
Justus Shaw got the start for the Jackets and hit a three 49 seconds into the game to give the Jackets a 3-0 lead. Mason Hughes got a bucket for Highland before Trace Beck hit a triple for Mount Vernon to go up 6-2 with 644 to go in the quarter. The two teams would then struggle to score as the drought got to 4 and half minutes before Ja’Kai Wilson (20 points in the season opener) got a shot to go for Highland. Beck nailed another 3 and the Jackets lead 9-4 after one.
In the second Trent Wells hit a three for Mount Vernon and Landon Dawson got an and one. After a pair of missed free throws by the Scots Cody Dapprich scored to increase the Jackets lead to 17-4 with 530 to go in the half. The Scots would hit 1/4 free throws before Hughes scored to get back within 10 for the Scots. Camden Carrier increased the Mount Vernon’s lead with a score at the 142 mark but Hughes hit one of two from the line and got a score of his own and Owen Winkelfoos followed up with his first points to get the Scots within 7 with 44 seconds left in the half. Russell would make one more free throw before the half and Mount Vernon lead 19-13 at the break.
The Jackets started strong in the third as Dawson and Wells got back to back makes to send the Jackets to a 10 point lead at 23-13. Hughes and Wilson though scored five straight a two by Hughes and a triple by Wilson. Winkelfoos helped to get the Scots closer with a score, it was 23-20 with 535 to play in the third. Wells and Adams each traded a free throw before Beck scored and got fouled and missed the free throw. Wilson would answer for Highland and Dapprich hit a free throw for Mount Vernon to make it 27-23 Jackets after three.
Winkelfoos scored to start the fourth to get Highland within 2. Dawson’s answer seemed to calm things down but just 23 second later Winkelfoos scored and Jayden Collins tied it up with a score with 6 minutes to go in the game. Dawson scored a bucket in the paint but Collins would hit a three to give Highland their first lead of the game at the 455 mark. Winkelfoos would score again before Collins big fourth quarter continued with a bucket and with 4 minutes left the Scots were up 5. Dawson got his 5th and 6th points of the period as the Jackets got back within 3 with 230 left in the game and 55 seconds later Beck scored to close the gap to one. That’s when the game got even more wild. Collins was in transition and was fouled by Dapprich it what appeared to be an attempt at a steal but the officials called an intentional foul on Dapprich and Collins made 1/2 free throws. The Jackets went down and moved the ball on the perimeter before finding an open Dapprich at the head of the key for a go ahead three with 23 seconds. The Scots pushed it down the floor and found an open Rhett Russell under the bucket and the Senior scored it to give the Scots the lead. Wells would go down and miss a go ahead three for the Jackets before the Scots threw it down the court and Wilson scored uncontested at the buzzer.
Beck had 10 for the Jackets and Dawson added 11 to lead the Jackets including 6 in the fourth quarter.
Collins didn’t score until the fourth quarter but finished with 8 points. Wilson and Hughes had 9 points a piece and Winkelfoos ended with 10 points.