MUNCIE — On paper, the Mt. Vernon Marauders were projected to win big during their regular-season finale at Delta on Thursday night.
While a fun pastime for some fans and analysts to speculate probable outcomes, the Marauders prefer to fixate on results, and they proved it by claiming a second straight outright Hoosier Heritage Conference championship.
Led by senior Lexi Shelton’s game-high 21 points, the Marauders easily completed their first end-season goal, defeating Delta, 53-19, to finish a flawless 7-0 in the HHC while picking up their eighth consecutive victory.
“It’s been a goal since even before we started the year. We knew even though we were predicted to win (tonight), we still needed to come in focused to prepare us for Pendleton (Heights) on Tuesday,” Lexi Shelton said.
Referring to the program’s Class 4A Sectional 9 opening-round game at Muncie Central Fieldhouse in five days, Shelton and the Marauders’ sharpened their skills against the host Eagles (4-15, 0-7 HHC) in eager anticipation.
Mt. Vernon (15-5, 7-0 HHC) jumped out to a 14-2 lead by the end of the first quarter and built a 23-point advantage by halftime — powered by their defense — en route to the team’s 12th 50-plus point offensive performance.
“They’re an athletic team, and I felt we came in focused and guarded hard. Only gave up eight points in the first half and those are things we have to do to prepare for next week,” Mt. Vernon head coach Julie Shelton said. “They did some things that were a great test for us to make sure we’re ready.”
Senior Olivia Yeley went to work immediately, scoring seven of her 13 points in the first half. Senior Abby Worley had eight points and junior Maddie Swingle added six points.
Delta was led by Abigail Bamidele’s nine points with all of them falling thru in the second half. Mayana Pickering had four points.
The Marauders focused inside and outside against Delta, burying seven 3-pointers, including five from Lexi Shelton, who was averaging 14.0 points per game through 18 games played.
However, bigger than the regular-season finale win or the points amassed, Lexi Shelton was primarily grateful for the team’s achievement and its core longevity.
“It’s so special. This group, the six of us (seniors) have played together since the second grade, so it’s been a dream come true, really, for all of us to stick together this long and all six of us to finish it out because it’s not that common for people to do that,” Lexi Shelton said.
Overall, nine of the players on the roster have competed together at some points since grade school and are pushing towards a potential second sectional title in three years by the end of next week.
The key to the team’s success during the postseason, coach Shelton remarked, will be it’s chemistry, work ethic and fortitude.
“It’s really neat. I just told the seniors, for their four years, we were 23-5 in the conference, and that’s a great run that they’ve had,” Julie Shelton said. “It’s a great group of kids all the way around. I’m very happy with everything the seniors have done for us these past four years and the whole team this year.”
When looking at the season as a whole, it was another banner year for the Marauders. Their 15th win marked the third straight season the program has reached or surpassed that total and was the fourth winning campaign in the past six years.
Remaining consistent hasn’t been an easy task, though, with injuries throughout 2020-21 and a 19-day hiatus from late November into mid-December due to COVID-19 quarantines.
“We’ve had quite a bit of adversity. I couldn’t be more proud of the whole team and this season,” Julie Shelton said.
“We started off slow, played a really tough schedule at the beginning of the year and lost a game we were up by double digits in overtime at the beginning (against Franklin on Nov. 5), trying to get some kids back that we hadn’t had time with in the preseason.”
The Marauders were 3-2 before their quarantine, and upon their return they went 3-2 again while losing to Evansville Memorial, 69-38, during the Hall of Fame Classic championship in New Castle on Dec. 29.
The progression took patience, time and perseverance.
“I felt like we were starting to jell, and then Olivia (Yeley) sprained her ankle, then we had a couple of kids quarantined, and then we thought we were finally rolling, and we were all quarantined,” Julie Shelton said.
“And we’ve had some hiccups with (freshman starter) Ellery (Minch) getting hurt and being out these last four games. Riley (Hasseld) is playing hurt, but I couldn’t be more proud of them because everybody has had a great attitude and keeps plugging along.”
With Minch (8.7 ppg) set to come back for sectional, the Marauders will be at near full strength at the right time with Pendleton Heights up first in Muncie followed by Richmond, who received the tournament bye, awaiting in the semifinals on Feb. 5.
First thing, though, they have to win and advance, a lesson the team learned last year after carrying a 21-game winning streak into sectional only to get upset in the opening round by rival New Palestine, 41-32.
Mt. Vernon had beaten New Palestine 44-25 during the 2019-20 regular-season. Similarly, the Marauders defeated Pendleton Heights 49-38 this season, but they aren’t overlooking anyone.
“I think the sectional is wide open. Pendleton is a very good team. Anderson, New Pal, Richmond, I don’t know that anybody can overlook anybody this year,” Julie Shelton said.
“Every team has been way up or way down at some point this season, so it’s just who comes in and has confidence and plays their game. Pendleton is a very good team, and to me, it’s again, who makes shots, who executes their game plan, who guards? I think our whole sectional is going to be that way.”
As for any lingering hesitation stemming from last season, Lexi Shelton doesn’t believe it will be a factor once the team arrives in Delaware County.
“Really, it’s a new year. It’s a different group. We’re ready. We’re focused, and last year is behind us. We don’t want to let that hover over our head because if you’re not positive about going out and winning a sectional, it’s not going to happen, which is what happened to us last year,” she said. “We doubted ourselves and this year, we’re not. We’re going out focused and and ready to play.”
