For the Daily Reporter
FORTVILLE — Ben Rhoades was not going to call timeout.
After Connersville had just tied the game with 24 seconds remaining, the Marauders had one chance to win the game in regulation, and Rhoades trusted his players to execute.
Keith Rupert found Ryan Morris open in the corner right before the buzzer, and that was that. Morris drained the shot and the Marauders defeated visiting Connersville, 47-45.
“We knew Connersville was out of timeouts,” Rhoades said. “So I didn’t want to gift them that chance of setting up a defense. If we miss our shot, we don’t lose and go to overtime, so I left it in the boys’ hands to execute.”
Rhoades may not have thought he’d have a chance to win the game after the first quarter, when the Spartans held Mt. Vernon to six points and took a nine-point lead into the second. Connersville did most of its damage from the free throw line in the opening quarter, as they attempted 14 free throws and made 11.
“If I had one gripe with us tonight, it was that we weren’t helping each other out early on (Connersville’s) drives to the basket,” Rhoades said. “But we figured that out and made them earn it from there on out.”
Peyton Meadors, who lead the Marauders with 14 total points, scored 10 points in the first half to key Mt. Vernon back into the game, tying the game at halftime. Despite Mt. Vernon taking a seven-point lead into the fourth, Connersville clamped down hard on the Marauders offense in the fourth quarter, allowing only 5 points.
Unfortunately for the visitors, two of those points were the final basket of the game. Connersville tied the game with 24 seconds remaining on a nice reverse layup from Ethan Smith. Marauders senior Rupert calmly brought the ball up, faked a drive, and found Morris open in the corner. Morris executed a ball fake of his own, drove toward the basket, and banked in the game winner as time ran out.
The Marauders don’t have time to relish this victory, as tomorrow night they travel to Class 3A No. 3 Delta (16-0, 3-0 HHC) for an important Hoosier Heritage Conference clash.
The Marauders and Eagles are both undefeated in conference play, so this game will go a long way toward determining this year’s conference champion.
“Delta is a great team,” Rhoades said. “But they played tonight too, so we are just going to hydrate and give it our best shot up there tomorrow night.”
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Mt. Vernon 47, Connersville 45
CHS;15;13;7;10;-;45
MV;6;22;14;5;-;47
Mt. Vernon (8-4) – Meadors 5 4-4 14, Gentry 5 0-0 12, Frank 3 0-0 8, Morris 3 1-4 7, Rupert 3 0-0 6. Totals: 19 5-8 47.
Connersville (8-7) – Garrison 3 5-6 14, Belt 2 6-6 10, Brown 4 1-2 9, Smith 3 1-2 7, Wickes 1 2-2 5. Totals: 14 15-17 45.
3-pointers: Mt. Vernon 4 (Frank, Gentry 2), Connersville 4 (Garrison 3, Wickes 1).
Rebounds: Mt. Vernon 14 (Morris 4, Bell, Meadors 3, Burhenn, Gentry 2), Connersville 15 (Garrison 5, Belt, Brown 4, Smith 2).
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