MOUNT VERNON – The Yellow Jackets have seen this script before.
Fall behind, crack down on defense, rally in the second half and don’t look back.
After allowing Ashland an early 10-1 lead Friday, the Mount Vernon boys basketball team remained behind until midway through the third period. An 18-3 run extending into the fourth carried the Jackets to a 56-49 Ohio Cardinal Conference victory at The Hive.
The Jackets’ surge began with their defense. The team went man-for-man throughout the game, and their intensity wore down Ashland. Quentin Rowland led the home team with nine rebounds – six in the third period alone – while Jack Marhefka had four steals. Overall, Mount Vernon held the Arrows to 8-of-29 shooting (27.6 percent) in the second half.
“We got ourselves in a hole, but it was great to see our response,” Mount Vernon head coach Nick Coon said. “Fortunately, they played a better second quarter, and then a great second half. They really took control with our kids’ effort.”
It didn’t begin that way.
Ashland hit a pair of 3-pointers early to grab a nine-point lead just three minutes into the game. The Arrows hit four of their first six attempts from beyond the arc, including a pair of 3s from Gabe Baith.
The Arrows used a half-court press to try to force the young Yellow Jackets into mistakes. The plan didn’t work; Mount Vernon turned the ball over just nine times in the game. And the Jackets took advantage of the aggressive defense to begin crashing the boards.
Rowland hit a pair of layups while teammate Zane Barber hit two jumpers to narrow the gap to one, 22-21, late in the second.
Finally, a pair of layups by Isaiah Columber – the second of which was set up by a Rowland steal – gave the Jackets their first lead, 30-29, with 4:40 left in the third. Barber added three more buckets to expand the lead.
Barber, the lone sophomore on the Mount Vernon varsity roster, came off the bench to lead his team with 12 points.
Marhefka added 10 points. But it was his defense, which included four steals and multiple pass deflections, that was most impressive Friday.
“We put a lot on Jack’s plate, defensively,” Coon said. “We usually put him up against the best scorer on the other team. He holds himself to a high standard on that end of the floor. He is constantly giving great effort there.”
Andrew Burke had nine points, all on 3-pointers. Nikos Giakoumas also had nine points, including eight in Mount Vernon’s dominating third quarter.
Columber and Rowland finished with eight points.
Ashland (3-7, 1-5) was led offensively by Paxon Ediger. The sophomore managed 14 points in the contest, with eight points coming in the opening quarter.
Isaac Stewart added nine points. Max Swaisgood added eight.
Mount Vernon has fallen behind in every home game this season. Friday was the second time the team battled back to win.
“We don’t put a number on winning and losing. We are always pushing to constantly get better in the areas we need it,” Coon said. “That’s one thing about this group. All off-season, they’ve put in the work, they’ve put in the time, and they’ve committed to each other and to our program. And I think that shows on the court.”
The Jackets go on the road Saturday to face their old rivals in Newark. Ashland will host Shelby, also on Saturday.
