FORTVILLE — As rivalries go, Tuesday’s girls basketball game at Mt. Vernon High School will be one that one team will always remember, while the other will quickly try to forget.
A battle between two teams toward the top of the Hoosier Heritage Conference standings was one-sided.
Mt. Vernon missed just one first-quarter field goal attempt. New Palestine hit just one.
After the visiting Dragons scored the game’s first bucket, the Marauders scored the next 13 points and went on to a 54-28 victory over their oldest rivals from the southern portion of Hancock County.
“Probably one of our best efforts of the year,” Mt. Vernon head coach Julie Shelton said.
It was Mt. Vernon’s fourth straight win. The Marauders are 9-3 overall and 3-0 in the HHC. The Dragons came in with the second most league wins, but leave Fortville 3-2 in conference play and 7-5 overall.
“It feels great and I’m so happy for the kids,” Shelton added. “They’ve really had to buy in, work hard and play together. I thought tonight was the best we’ve played together. We had a lot of kids step up and get some big baskets. We moved the basketball and they collectively guarded well. It was one of our best team efforts where everyone did their job.”
It was New Pal’s second straight HHC loss, both coming to county rivals. The Dragons lost at Greenfield-Central Friday. It ended a stretch of five straight conference games.
“Mt. Vernon is well-coached, and play good defense and they’re long. Ellery (Minch) is 6-4,” New Palestine coach Sarah Gizzi said. “All of that aside, we could have done better. Mt. Vernon played well, give them all the credit, I just thought my girls could have played better.
“There were so many unforced turnovers.”
Mt. Vernon is the only remaining unbeaten in league play. Pendleton Heights is 4-1, but the Marauders beat the Arabians in a head-to-head matchup earlier this month.
The Marauders have four HHC games remaining, two are against teams at the bottom of the HHC standings (Delta and New Castle). Their biggest challenges will come from Shelbyville (9-2, 1-2) and another county rival, Greenfield-Central (4-6, 1-1).
Mt. Vernon plays at Shelbyville on Jan. 14 and, at home, against Greenfield-Central on Jan. 20.
On Tuesday, after New Pal’s Tylar Whitaker hit the game’s opening shot, it was all Mt. Vernon.
The Marauders hit 4 of 5 first-quarter field goal attempts, getting successful buckets from four different players. Easton Wampler and Kanyonrae Kenny each hit 3-pointers.
In the second quarter, Marauder senior Khloe Patterson, who transferred to Mt. Vernon from New Palestine two years ago, had 12 of her 14 points. She was one of three Mt. Vernon players to score in double figures.
Kenny finished with a team-best 16 points, 11 came in the second half. Minch scored 12. Wampler had eight including two first-half treys.
Isabella Gizzi led the Dragons with 19 points.
Mt. Vernon returns to action Dec. 20 at Mooresville. New Palestine plays host to Cathedral Thursday.
Mt. Vernon 54, New Palestine 28
New Palestine;2;8;12;6;—;28
Mt. Vernon;11;18;11;14;—;54
New Palestine (7-5, 3-2): Vivian Miller 2 0-0 4, Allie Blum 1 1-2 3, Sadey Hughbanks 0 0-0 0, Isabella Gizzi 5 7-7 19, Tylar Whitaker 1 0-0 2, Ella Holman 0 0-0 0, Kylee Beranek 0 0-0 0. Totals: 9 8-9 28.
Mt. Vernon (9-3, 3-0): Easton Wampler 3 0-0 8, Ellery Minch 4 4-4 12, Khloe Patterson 5 4-5 14, Kanyonrae Kenny 5 5-8 16, Kaitlyn Laffey 1 0-0 2, Reagan Britt 0 0-0 0, Samantha Mrnak 0 0-0 0, Addison Bucksot 1 0-0 2. Totals: 19 13-17 54.
3-point goals: New Palestine 2 (Gizzi); Mt. Vernon 3 (Wampler 2, Kenny)
