Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Mount Vernon had all the momentum, the lead and the ball in overtime of its WAMAC East Division showdown with rival Solon.

What did the Spartans have on their side for the final three minutes Friday?

Some experience, a veteran lineup and most importantly a refusal to go away.

“We just didn’t want to lose,” Solon senior Ben Cusick said. “We didn’t want to lose, that’s pretty much it.”

Class 3A ninth-ranked Solon shook off a furious Mount Vernon rally in regulation by scoring the final six points of overtime in a 74-70 win over the Mustangs in a thriller in Solon.

Mount Vernon (7-3) rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final 34 seconds of regulation, forcing overtime on a Jayden Meeker 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left.

Meeker gave Mount Vernon its only lead of overtime with a layup 29 seconds into the extra session but Solon (10-1) scored the next six points to snap a three-game losing skid to its Highway 1 rival while retaining sole possession of first place in the WAMAC East Division.

“Most of the time in that situation the energy is low but it’s Mount Vernon and we had a ton of energy,” Solon senior Carson Shive said. “Going into overtime we knew we were going to win that game.”

Shive, Cusick and fellow senior David Bluder all had 15 points as Solon stretched its winning streak to 10 with its fourth consecutive single-digit victory.

Senior point guard Will Noonan added 13 points including a pair of clutch free throws with 16 seconds left as seniors accounted for all but eight of the Spartans 66 points on Friday.

“It’s such a good feeling for all of us, especially us seniors,” Cusick said. “It’s really good because we hadn’t beaten them in a long time and they are a good team so it feels really good.”

Solon shot 61 percent from the floor, including 7-of-15 from 3-point range and made 21 free throws but couldn’t put the game away until the final seconds.

Mount Vernon senior standout Keaton Kutcher had a game-high 30 and Meeker added 25 to keep the Mustangs afloat.

“We had a little more energy this game because it’s Mount Vernon and we know they are always going to be ready to play us,” Shive said. “We know this is always going to be the best game we play and the best game they play and it ended up going to overtime and being a pretty great game.”

Solon led 37-31 at the half and appeared to finally pull away in what was a back-and-forth second half when Cusick hit a pair of free throws to put the Spartans up 64-56 with 59 seconds left.

Mount Vernon had other ideas.

Meeker and Kutcher each hit three free throws after being fouled on 3-point attempts around a Brady Ketchum 3-pointer to cut the lead to 66-65 with 8.5 seconds left.

Noonan hit a pair of free throws with 7.4 seconds left but Meeker forced overtime with a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Meeker sliced to the hoop for a layup to give Mount Vernon a 70-68 lead with 3:31 left in overtime.

That proved to be the final lead and final points of the game for the Mustangs.

“At the end of the game they hit the 3-pointer to tie it up and all of the momentum swings to them and then they get the first basket in overtime,” Solon coach Jared Galpin said. “They had the momentum and we didn’t get rattled. We did not panic, we guarded and we overcame some stuff.”

Bluder tied the game with a jumper off the glass and gave Solon the lead for good with a pair of free throws with 1:46 left.

After allowing 68 points in regulation Solon held Mount Vernon to just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in overtime as the Mustangs missed their final five field goal attempts.

“They are tough-minded,” Galpin said. “They are multi-sport athletes, they have been in big situations before in other sports and they just don’t fold. They stay calm and they patient.”

Solon                            16  21  12  19  6  –  74

Mount Vernon          13  18  13  24  2  –  70

Solon (74) – Jacob Timmons 1-2 0-0 2, Will Noonan 3-6 6-7 13, Kinnick Pusteoska 2-2 2-2 6, Carson Shive 5-7 4-7 15, Ben Cusick 5-7 5-5 15, David Bluder 4-9 4-4 15, Bo Janssen 3-5 0-0 8, Totals 23-38 21-25 74.

Mount Vernon (70) – Brady Ketchum 2-4 0-0 6, Owen Brase 1-4 3-3 5, Jensen Meeker 0-1 0-0 0, Collin Swantz 1-2 0-0 2, Joe Rhomberg 0-1 0-0 0, Aidan Nosek 1-1 0-0 2, Jayden Meeker 8-13 6-7 25, Keaton Kutcher 10-26 8-9 30, Totals 23-52 17-19 70.

3-point field goals – SOL 7-15 (Noonan 1-3, Shive 1-2, Bluder 3-6, Janssen 2-4), MV 7-27 (Ketchum 2-4, Brase 0-1, Jen. Meeker 0-1, Collin Swantz 0-1, Rhomberg 0-1, Jay. Meeker 3-6, Kutcher 2-13). Rebounds – SOL 27 (Cusick 8), MV 19 (Kutcher 5). Turnovers – SOL 14, MV 10. Total fouls – SOL 14, MV 22. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – MV (Kutcher).

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