FORTVILLE — It took a while to get settled in.
Mt. Vernon needed just a few minutes, finding their offense when junior Sydnee Perry took control, scoring nine points in quick succession — a pair of 3-pointers and three free throws — to open up a lead for the hosts in the first quarter.
Franklin needed until after the halftime break to settle in to the season opener. That’s when Kuryn Brunson and Hailee Robbins got rolling.
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Mt. Vernon opened a big halftime lead, but the Grizzly Cubs came out firing in the third quarter. The Marauders held on in a hotly-contested second half, avenging a loss from last year’s season opener and escaping with a 46-44 win on Thursday.
“I think he (Franklin coach Josh Sabol) couldn’t have been thrilled with his first half and me with our second half,” Mt. Vernon coach Julie Shelton said. “It’s a matter of we played aggressive early and they were on their heels, and they came out aggressive at us and we were on our heels. We just could never, either team, once somebody took momentum it was hard to get it back in either half.”
When the Marauders needed a spark, Perry provided it. Mt. Vernon watched their lead evaporate in the third quarter, with the Grizzly Cubs taking the lead at 37-35 with 4:45 remaining. Perry drained a 3-pointer, stole the inbound pass and scored an immediate jumper, giving the Marauders a 40-37 advantage.
With 40 seconds left in the game and Mt. Vernon trailing, Perry hit a 3-pointer to give her team a 46-44 lead. She secured a defensive rebound 15 seconds later to help her 3-pointer hold up as the game-winner.
“She’s our go-to kid,” Shelton said. “She has by far our most varsity experience. She’s going to be our team leader. She’s a junior. This is her second year of starting, and she played a bunch as a freshman. She’s our go-to, and she did a great job tonight when we needed her.”
The Grizzly Cubs struggled to get their offense going the entire first half, falling behind 27-12 and making just two field goals in the first two quarters.
The Marauders defense started strong, not giving Franklin many good looks in the first half. The Grizzly Cubs found openings early in the second half, though, scoring as many baskets in the first minute of the third quarter as they did in the entire first half.
“In the first half we had 17 turnovers and only four rebounds. That is a recipe for disaster,” Sabol said. “At halftime we made some adjustments, and we came out and we started playing the way we like to play, which is getting up and down, getting some easy baskets. I think by doing that, by making those adjustments, we were able to get back in it and eventually take the lead.”
Franklin scored seven quick points to start the half, trimming the lead back to single digits and getting themselves back in the game. They didn’t stop there.
The visitors grabbed momentum, roaring back from the 15-point deficit to tie the game as the third quarter ended, evening the score at 30-30.
When Franklin needed a spark, Robbins provided it. She finished with 18 points, most coming in the second half.
Brunson had a big second half herself, finishing with 11 points for the Grizzly Cubs.
Mt. Vernon was led by Perry’s 19 points and four steals. Lexi Shelton added 11 points and six rebounds. Maddie Swingle had six points and six rebounds. Lindsay Hartl and Tessa Freeman added four points and Shay Shipley added two.
“We had a big lead, and once they started coming, we’re young kids,” Julie Shelton said. “This is the first game for a lot of kids. We just turned it over and struggled. We get our first-game jitters out and we’ll see what happens next game.”
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Mt. Vernon 46, Franklin 44
Franklin;9;3;18;14;—;44
Mt. Vernon;15;12;3;16;—;46
Franklin (0-1): Megan Thompson 1 0-0 2, Kuryn Brunson 4 3-5 11, Kiki Crabtree 0 0-0 0, Hailee Robbins 8 1-4 18, Abby DeArmitt 0 2-2 2, Liv Parramore 0 0-0 0, Lauren Sandrock 1 0-0 2, Bayleigh Torrance 1 2-4 4, Peyton Wilson 0 4-4 4. Totals: 15 12-19 44.
Mt. Vernon (1-0): Tessa Freeman 2 0-0 4, Abby Worley 0 0-0 0, Sydnee Perry 5 5-9 19, Lindsay Hartl 2 0-0 4, Lexi Shelton 3 5-6 11, Shay Shipley 0 2-4 2, Maddie Swingle 3 0-0 6, Olivia Yeley 0 0-0 0, Faith Hayes 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 12-19 46.
3-point goals: Franklin 1 (Robbins 1), Mt. Vernon 4 (Perry 4).
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New Palestine 71, Connersville 17
The Dragons jumped out to a 35-9 lead at halftime and cruised to a big opening win. See more details from the game in Saturday’s Daily Reporter.
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