Marauders sink top-ranked Eagles at the buzzer

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Mt. Vernon’s Amhad Jarrard (32) puts up game-winning, 3-point shot over Zionsville’s Edward Thomas (5) at the buzzer during their game at Mt. Vernon High School on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021. (Rob Baker/Daily Reporter)

FORTVILLE — In the minutes following Mt. Vernon’s 63-52 road win over Hoosier Heritage Conference foe New Castle on Dec. 23, Marauders boys basketball coach Ben Rhoades expressed his excitement.

Not for the win necessarily, or the holidays, but in how his Marauders would handle the tough stretch ahead of them.

With a post-Christmas date at home against Class 4A No. 1 Zionsville on Tuesday and a road match-up at 4A No. 11 Westfield on Jan. 4 before traveling to HHC rival Greenfield-Central on Jan. 7, the next three games for Mt. Vernon were going to be telling.

On Tuesday, at home, the Marauders voiced their intentions loud and clear in walk-off fashion.

Tied at 41-all with top-ranked Zionsville, the unranked 4A Marauders (6-1) went the length of the court in the game’s final seven seconds and senior Amhad Jarrard delivered the dagger from beyond the arc.

Jarrard, who was assisted by his twin brother Armon, drew a one-one-one from deep and rose up with two seconds left to burying a game-winning 3-pointer to hand the visiting Eagles (8-1) their first loss of the season, 43-41.

The victory marked the Marauders’ sixth straight as Jararrd, an IUPUI commit, was swarmed by his teammates after the final horn sounded.

Amhad Jarrard finished the game with a team-high 16 points, including the final three in the waning seconds. Armon Jarrard, who is also commited to IUPUI, had 13 points.

The Marauders trailed 15-13 after the first quarter, led 22-21 at halftime and maintained a one-point advantage entering the fourth quarter at 35-34.

In the game’s final 1:57, Mt. Vernon pulled ahead 41-39, but the Eagles closed the gap in the final minute that setup Jararrd’s heroics on the Marauders’ last possession.

Leading up to the upset victory, Armon Jarrard was averaging 16.3 points per game and Amhad was contributing 15.5.

The Marauders are currently 3-0 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference, holding the top spot in the standings, and are 4-0 at home this season. They are 3-1 in non-conference games.

Mt. Vernon beat 4A Decatur Central, 80-53, on Dec. 14. The Marauders also bested Southport, 74-55, on Dec. 18, but lost at 4A No. 4 Fishers, 65-59, on Dec. 4 to open their season.

Cougars take fifth in tourney

The Greenfield-Central girls basketball team won two straight games during the Lebanon Girls Holiday Classic Tournament this week to finish fifth overall in the eight-team tournament.

The Cougars (5-10) lost their quarterfinal game to host Lebanon, 48-41, on Monday before coming back with a 37-34 victory against Perry Meridian in the consolation round later that evening.

On Tuesday, the Cougars knocked off Indian Creek, 35-33, in the fifth-place game to post their fourth win in five games.

The Cougars will face Perry Meridian, again, on Jan. 4 for their first of four straight home games.