FORTVILLE —Cooper Galli didn’t have time to think. He just looked for an opening and with 4.5 seconds left on the clock Tuesday night, he didn’t miss.
Collecting a pass as he stood ready to fire outside the arc, Galli didn’t call bank, but he was money from long-range, burying a game-winning 3-pointer to seal Mt. Vernon’s season-opening victory 62-60 over Decatur Central.
The sophomore drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the third quarter along the baseline to pull the Marauders (1-0) within one point of the Hawks, but his finale as time expired was exactly what his team needed.
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Galli finished with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting — all five 3-pointers — and was swarmed by the Marauders’ student section as zeros popped up on the scoreboard with his arm held up in the air.
“Honestly, I thought I was going to hit the top of the backboard, but it was a great pass,” Galli said. “I really wasn’t feeling my shot until the end. It was a great team win.”
The Marauders needed an all-out effort to topple the Hawks (1-1) as they fell behind 17-6 early in the first quarter. A 15-3 run through the end of the first quarter into the second tied the game at 21-all.
Amhad Jarrard, who finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, knotted up the game with a pair of free throws. He was 9-of-10 from the line.
A steal and a transition bucket by Armon Jarrard put the Marauders up 25-21 late in the second, and the Marauders carried a 25-22 lead into halftime as the Hawks struggled with possession.
Decatur Central turned the ball over 16 times in the first half to open the door, while the Hawks were also whistled for nine first-half fouls.
“It was our first game, and we came out with some jitters, but we played with a lot of grit. We didn’t give up,” Mt. Vernon head coach Ben Rhoades said. “In the beginning of the game, we were down 11, and we fought back defensively.”
The Hawks rallied back in the third quarter, going on a 14-0 run to take a 36-29 advantage with big man Brandon Smith scoring 11 of his 13 points in the final 16 minutes.
Kenny Tracy had a game-high 17 points with five rebounds for Decatur Central, while Sebastian Murillo had 12 points and nine rebounds. Javon Tracy added 10 points.
The Hawks out rebounded the Marauders 30-14, but a 12-6 run by Mt. Vernon to end the third quarter setup a back-and-forth fourth.
Tied for the third time in the game, the Marauders, who had only one returning starter from last year’s starting five, pulled in front 51-46 off Galli’s third trey with 4:31 remaining.
The Hawks answered with a 10-0 run led by Kenny Tracy and Smith. Decatur Central struggled from the foul line, however, shooting 9-of-15 in the second half.
The Marauders were more efficient, converting 13-of-14 in the game and 9-of-10 foul shots in the second half.
Armon Jarrard was 4-for-4 from the charity stripe and posted 11 points. Rickie Wedlow chipped in 10 points off the bench, including one of Mt. Vernon’s 9 treys in 21 attempts.
“That was a hard fought game, and to be honest, we just had the last possession, and we executed what we said. We weren’t calling bank, but it went in,” Rhoades said.
Galli erased a 58-56 deficit with 9.6 seconds left with his fourth 3-pointer, but Smith responded with a quick bucket in the post to give Decatur Central a 60-59 lead with 4.5 seconds and one more shot for Mt. Vernon after a timeout.
“We have a long way to go, we have many things we need to improve on, but for the first game, I complain with the result,” Rhoades said. “(Galli) hits tough shots. He’s not afraid to shoot, which is a good thing… the ball bounced our way in the end, literally.”
