By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor
LAPEL – Class 2A fourth-ranked Lapel went on a 10-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters Feb. 6, turning a 49-42 deficit to 3A No. 13 Mt. Vernon (Fortville) into a three-point lead with just under seven minutes to play and electrifying the home crowd.
That run, in retrospect, came too soon as the Bulldogs’ offense fell powerless down the stretch. The visitors from down State Road 13 closed out the game with a 12-2 run that included a flawless 8-for-8 effort from the free throw line, allowing Mt. Vernon (10-3) to extend its winning streak to eight games with a 61-54 victory.
Check out all the video players for interviews with Mt. Vernon coach Steve Lynch and Lapel coach Jimmie Howell as well as game highlights and treats from Lapel ‘s new gym!
The Marauders’ 6’4” standout, junior P.J. Hubert, led all scorers with 23 points, including a sizzling 17 in a first half that saw Mt. Vernon lead 36-30. But Lapel (13-3) steadily climbed back behind nine third-period points from 6’3” senior guard Michael Pritchett, and the Bulldogs trailed just 49-48 heading to the fourth quarter.
A layin by 6’4” sophomore Jeremy Reed on a sweet pass from driving sophomore guard Chandler Guion gave Lapel the lead on the first possession of the final stanza. The Bulldogs then bumped that advantage to three the next time down on another Reed layin that was made possible by an excellent diving-out-of-bounds save of the ball by 6’5” junior Logan Ingle.
But Lapel’s offense vanished from that point forth as the Bulldogs’ next seven trips down the floor netted nothing. Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon countered on its next two opportunities with a driving bucket from 6’6” junior Daniel Turner and a putback by 6’4” senior Tyler Stafford.
The score stood at 53-51 in Mt. Vernon’s favor for nearly four minutes before the Marauders’ perfect parade to the stripe sealed it in the final two minutes.
Turner joined Hubert in double figures with 12 points for Mt. Vernon, which hosts Franklin County (4-9) Feb. 7. Pritchett led Lapel, which saw its six-game winning streak halted, with 19 points. Ingle added 17 and Guion had 10 for the Bulldogs, who host Tri (3-9) Saturday.
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