FORTVILLE — Mt. Vernon answered hot-shooting Whiteland’s strong start with stronger defense.
After Whiteland hit 4 of 6 first-quarter 3-pointers, led by as much as seven points and took a 16-11 lead into the second, Mt. Vernon decided the Warriors couldn’t hit shots they were unable to take.
The Marauders helped force 29 turnovers, 19 in the middle quarters, and defeated the Warriors 53-34 in the girls basketball season opener for both teams at Mt. Vernon High School Tuesday.
“Mt. Vernon runs a halfcourt 1-2-2 matchup zone and they do a really good job of it,” Whiteland head coach Kellie Burgeson said. “We just couldn’t handle the pressure in the halfcourt, way too many turnovers to be successful offensively.”
To compound troubles for the Warriors, Whiteland played without starter Addison Emberton. Two more players, starter Gwen Higdon and the first player off the bench, Carly VonDielingen, the niece of Mt. Vernon head coach Julie Shelton, were injured in the second quarter and did not return.
“We brought (5-10 senior) Easton Wampler up to pressure,” Shelton said of her team’s defensive change. “I thought that helped when Easton was giving them problems. We had her playing flat and low and brought her up to lane passes and try to pressure more.
“They got two people hurt, I’d say that was the biggest difference,” Shelton added. “And, Reagan Britt came in to play the second half. She had to sit the first half. The combination of them losing two kids and us getting a starter back helped.”
Mt. Vernon outscored Whiteland 18-5 in the third quarter to break a halftime tie and take control of the game.
The Marauders opened the second half on a 10-0 run. A bucket from DePaul recruit Ellery Minch, a 3-pointer from Wampler and two-pointer from Kanyonrae Kenny all happened in the first 90 seconds.
Minch added three more points from the free-throw line for the Marauders first double-digit lead of the night.
Whiteland didn’t break its scoring drought until Sophia Dyer scored with 3:58 left in the third.
Whiteland jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead. Higdon and Samantha Roadruck each hit early treys. The Warriors were 4 of 6 from 3-point range in the opening period and led by as much as seven points.
Roadruck led Whiteland with 12 points, eight came in the first quarter. Dyer had seven. Higdon hit a pair of first-quarter 3s before leaving the game.
“We had some girls step up. They were kind of thrown into the fire. I am really happy with the effort from some of those kids that don’t have a lot of varsity experience,” Burgeson said. “Overall, we just have to get better, handle the basketball, but Mt. Vernon is a really good team.”
Mt. Vernon had three players score in double figures.
Minch led with 18. She had 10 in the third quarter and connected on 8 of 9 at the stripe.
Wampler finished with 14, including four 3-pointers. She hit one trey in each quarter.
Her made 3 in the opening period was Mt. Vernon’s only made first-quarter field goal. The Marauders hit just 1 of 13 first-quarter field-goal tries.
Kenny was Mt. Vernon’s third double-digit scorer with 11 points.
Kaitlyn Laffey scored eight points and helped kick-start the Mt. Vernon offense in the second quarter.
Down 16-11, Laffey hit a trey, then scored off a steal to tie the game, 16-16. Wampler gave Mt. Vernon its first lead on her second-quarter 3-pointer, 19-18. Whiteland scored the last three points of the first half to tie the game at 22.
“The (first game of the season) gave us lots of things to think about, learn and grow,” Shelton added.
The Marauders (1-0) return to action Saturday at Warren Central. Whiteland (0-1) welcomes Greenfield-Central Saturday.
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Mt. Vernon 53, Whiteland 34
Whiteland;16;6;5;7;—;34
Mt. Vernon;11;11;18;13;—;53
Whiteland (0-1): Sukhman Bains 0 1-2 1, Gwen Higdon 2 0-0 6, Samantha Roadruck 4 1-2 12, Brookelynn Johnson 0 0-2 0, Sophia Dyer 2 3-8 7, Carly VonDielingen 1 2-2 4, Ella Davis 0 0-0 0, Mahek Ghuman 0 0-0 0, Alexa Lee 1 1-2 4, Bryanna Gillock 0 0-0 0, Mady Coryell 0 0-0 0. Totals: 10 8-18 34.
Mt. Vernon (1-0): Ellery Minch 5 8-9 18, Kanyonrae Kenny 4 3-5 11, Addison Bucksot 1 0-0 2, Easton Wampler 5 0-2 14, Kaitlyn Laffey 2 3-4 8, Katelyn Hawkins 0 0-0 0, Marissa Miner 0 0-0 0, Reagan Britt 0 0-0 0, Aya Renforth 0 0-0 0, Gabby Thomas 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 14-20 53.
3-point goals: Whiteland 6 (Roadruck 3, Higdon 2, Lee), Mt. Vernon 5 (Wampler 4, Laffey)
