By Mike McGraw
Executive Director
FORTVILLE – “Make a play.”
That phrase has become the No. 1 cliché in all of sports in recent years. Nonetheless, it aptly describes the Dec. 12 Hoosier Heritage Conference game between host Mt. Vernon (Fortville) and Pendleton Heights.
At two key points in the game, Mt. Vernon (2-1 overall, 1-0 in conference play) found someone who could “make a play” whereas the Arabians did not. That, in essence, was the difference in the Marauders’ 59-50 victory.
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The first half of this contest was, frankly, rather uneventful. Pendleton Heights (1-4, 0-2) shot poorly from the field and, despite doing a good job on the defensive end, found itself in a 28-19 hole at intermission. It could have been much worse had it not been for a nice job by the Arabians of denying Mt. Vernon’s top weapon, junior P.J. Hubert, very many quality shot attempts in the first two quarters.
Whatever adjustments coach Brian Hahn made at halftime, the Arabians took them to heart. Pendleton went on an immediate 10-2 run to start the third quarter, closing the gap to 30-29.
That was the first critical juncture in the game as Mt. Vernon responded with an 11-0 run of its own, sparked by five points from Hubert. The Arabians, whose offense was dependent on perimeter jump shots all night, went cold during the stretch.
Pendleton eventually regained its footing but still trailed by 10, 43-33, heading to the fourth quarter.
The Arabians refused to go quietly. They again charged back, cutting the margin to three at 47-44 early in the fourth. They even had the ball with a chance to tie.
Once again, however, nobody stepped up to “make a play.” Mt. Vernon scored the next six points, most of them a result of solid defense, and regained control 53-44.
The Marauders would never be threatened again.
Mt. Vernon put three players in double figures for the contest. Senior Brad Voltz led the way with 17 points, while the junior tandem of Daniel Turner and Hubert chipped in with 12 and 10, respectively. Pendleton Heights was led by another solid effort from Nathan Hendershot, who tossed in 16 markers on the evening.
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