Rolling on the road: Marauders get aggressive in big win

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Mt. Vernon head coach Julie Shelton talks with her team at halftime of their game against Bishop Chatard on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)

INDIANAPOLIS — Ever since preparations for this season began, the Mt. Vernon Marauders have been talking about upping the aggressiveness.

After a 1-1 start to the new girls basketball campaign, they found themselves on the road against a talented, deep Bishop Chatard team that was playing in its season opener.

The Marauders brought the aggressiveness from the opening tip, jumping out to an early lead. They kept it up for most of the game, eventually pulling ahead and holding on for a big road win, 57-48, on Thursday.

“We’ve talked all year that we have to be aggressive,” Mt. Vernon coach Julie Shelton said. “We’ve got a lot of the same kids back, and I think last year a lot of times we got tentative. Athletic teams that really played physical with us, we backed off some. This year, I said we’ve got to be the aggressor.”

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Mt. Vernon opened up a 6-0 lead just minutes into the game and maintained a six- or seven-point cushion for much of the first quarter.

They came out unafraid of a Chatard team that went 16-10 last year and won a sectional championship, losing to state runner-up Benton Central by one point in the regional round. Chatard returned its top seven scorers this year, so the Marauders knew they were in for a challenge.

They were ready.

“This is a good team, on the road, they’re long, athletic and pretty aggressive,” Shelton said. “We played hard defensively, most of the game, except for the end of the second quarter and maybe the beginning of the third. For the most part, defensive rebounding was really good and I was proud of ‘em.”

The visitors led by 10 points with just minutes remaining in the first half, only for turnovers to lead Chatard on a big run to tie things up. Mt. Vernon senior Sydnee Perry hit a shot at the buzzer, giving her team a two-point lead at the half.

Mt. Vernon led for most of the game, falling behind for the first time, at 36-34, with 2:30 left in the third quarter, and not trailing for long.

Chatard employed a similar defensive strategy to what Ben Davis used against the Marauders in last year’s regional, using a full-court press and high-pressure defense to try to force miscues.

It didn’t really work. The Marauders guards, in particular, showed a lot of poise and stayed in control for most of Thursday’s contest.

“I think Abby Worley had her best game she’s ever had with us,” Shelton said. “With all the pressure that they had … we were up by eight or 10, and she had to go out in the second quarter with fouls, and all of a sudden it’s a tie ball game. She means so much to us handling the basketball. Just a great performance from her.”

Perry led the Marauders in scoring with 16 points and added four steals and two assists. Worley had 14 points and added four steals and four assists. Lexi Shelton also had 14 points and added six rebounds.

Six-foot junior Olivia Yeley had a big game in the post, scoring eight points and pulling down 11 rebounds. She also had three steals.

“Olivia has just been unbelievable this year,” Shelton said. “She’s been really consistent for three games and playing very, very well.”

The Trojans (0-1) were led by guard Moira McGinley, who scored 16 points to go with four steals and five rebounds. Both Zakia Rasheed and Erika Pemberton added 11 points.

The Marauders improved to 2-1 on the year. They are next in action tonight at Connersville.