Daily Reporter staff reports
FORTVILLE — The Mt. Vernon boys basketball team continued its winning ways with a 52-45 victory against visiting Noblesville on Saturday.
The Marauders were consistent in their march toward their 10th win of the season and third straight, never scoring fewer than 11 points per frame.
Mt. Vernon jumped out first, building a 14-9 advantage after the first quarter. The lead grew to 25-19 by halftime. The Millers rallied back and cut their deficit to four points after the third, but the Marauders maintained control.
Damari Gatewood led the Marauders with 15 points, while Keith Rupert finished with 10. Cade Gentry had nine points, and Tyler Bostic chipped in six.
Jake Morris contributed five points, while Peyton Meadors posted four. Joe Miles added three points.
Mt. Vernon returns to the court Saturday when it travels to Lawrence Central for a 7:30 p.m. matchup.
Cougars fall to Woodmen
The Greenfield-Central boys basketball team forced overtime for a second straight game, but it wasn’t enough to snap its losing streak.
Able to tie host Greenwood 36-all by the end of regulation, the charging Cougars just fell short in the end, losing 43-39.
The loss dropped the Cougars’ season record to 4-13 and extended their hard luck streak to eight consecutive.
The Cougars were led by Will O’Connor, who posted a game-high 17 points.
Greenfield-Central returns to the court on Thursday when it hosts Knightstown at 7:30 p.m.
Dragons clipped by Arabians
The New Palestine boys basketball team was looking for its fourth Hoosier Heritage Conference win of the season Saturday, but the Pendleton Heights Arabians had other ideas.
The visiting Arabians rallied back in the second quarter and extended their lead in the second half to defeat the host Dragons 64-49.
Pendleton Heights’ Trent Miller posted a game-high 31 points and led a 16-3 run that erased an early 14-8 advantage by the Dragons. Miller shot 13 of 25 for the game.
New Palestine trailed 30-24 at halftime, but the Dragons sliced into the deficit, narrowing the gap to two points at 40-38 in the third. Matthew True paced the comeback effort, scoring a team-high 17 points for New Palestine, including seven in the third.
Miller answered, however, burying a fade-away 3-pointer at the horn to extend the lead to 47-40.
Gavin Hausz had 12 points in the loss for the Dragons, while Dawson Eastes provided eight points and five rebounds. Maxen Hook had six points, six rebounds and three assists.
The Dragons are now 10-7 on the season and 3-2 in the HHC. They return to the court Friday at home against HHC foe Shelbyville.
Gymnastics
Dragons win Rushville Invite
For a seventh straight year, the New Palestine girls gymnastics team ruled the Rushville Invitational.
The Dragons tallied 100.2 points on Saturday to win the title, led by Grace Shanahan, who won the all-around and three events. Aly Henson captured another event for New Palestine on vault with a score of 8.5.
Rushville was second in the team standings with 84.325 points. Shelbyville was third with 81.425. Waldron was fourth with 79.0 points. Muncie Central (78.4), Cambridge City Lincoln (46.55) and Morristown (40.675) followed.
Shanahan won the all-around title with a score of 38.05. Henson was second with 33.25.
The Dragons finished 1-2-3 on floor exercise behind Shanahan (8.75), Henson (8.6) and Sarah Thompson (8.475). Taylor Brown was fifth.
New Palestine repeated the feat on vault with Emma Poag (8.475) second and Shanahan third with 8.45.
Shanahan won on balance beam with 9.1 points, while Henson as second at 8.375.
Shanahan (8.75), Henson (7.775) and Poag (7.225) finished 1-2-3 on the uneven bars to cap the team’s decisive win.
The Dragons are at home Wednesday in a four-way meet with Muncie Central, Franklin Central and Scecina Memorial.
