MOUNT VERNON – One of the most important moments in any basketball game is the slam dunk.
When done right, it can send the fans to their feet and capture momentum for the rest of the game.
If done wrong, well…
The Wooster Generals learned that last lesson the hard way. After a missed dunk in the second half, the Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets launched a 17-0 run and crippled the Generals’ chances of an Ohio Cardinal Conference title with a 52-49 victory at The Hive.
“We’ve been losing some games this season. We wanted to win so bad, that it all came together,” Mount Vernon’s Spencer Bills said.
It was the exact opposite of their first encounter Jan. 8, which Wooster won, 60-32.
With Wooster holding a six-point lead, a steal led to a clear shot at the basket. The dunk attempt was high enough but off the mark, and the Jackets came down with the rebound.
It was only two missed points. But it was the first of 11 consecutive missed shots that kept the Generals scoreless for over 10 minutes.
Conversely, it sparked Mount Vernon (8-12, 5-6) to an offensive run it hadn’t seen all season. Blake Meyer scored on a three-point play off a pass from Jaxon Snyder. Then, Jontay Greene scored. Evan Boatwright hit a bucket with seconds left in the third period to give Mount Vernon a 35-32 lead.
Two more buckets by Boatwright eventually built the lead to 11 with 2:30 showing on the clock.
The Jacket defense stepped up, too. Ezra McKee, who scored 29 points in the Generals’ victory last month, was held to zero points before fouling out with a minute to play.
“He (McKee) scored off their transition, off turnovers, last time,” Mount Vernon coach Nick Coon said. “We still had turnovers (Friday), but they weren’t able to convert this time. We got back on our set defense in time, and we limited them in their points.”
Still missing shots, the Generals began attacking the boards to get more second chances. The plan worked, as they were able to drop the lead to three. However, poor free-throw shooting (4 for 12) prevented Wooster from getting any closer.
Meyer led the Jackets with 12 points. Bills added 10, including a pair of clutch free throws with seconds left to put the game away.
“He (Bills) wants to be a really good player. And he’s going that way,” Coon said. “He’s doing the extra things, like watching film and getting shots up. It takes a lot of work to be a really good basketball player. He’s trying to get there. He’s putting in the effort to get there.”
Boatwright and Noah Gleason scored eight points apiece. Connor Fisher had six points, all in the third period.
Wooster (8-8, 6-3) was paced by Lonnie Harper, who finished with 16 points. Dylan Dagley scored 14, Jette Morgan put up 13 and Reece Mitchell scored six.
“They just keep coming at you. They’re relentless,” Coon said of Wooster. “But, we kept playing. When we made a mistake, we moved on to the next play. That’s what is so important. Always learn, but always move on to the next play.”
Wooster now trails Lexington by two games and Mansfield Senior by 1 1/2 games in the OCC.
