Efficient Mustangs wrap up Wamac East

MOUNT VERNON -- They played an uncommonly clean game.

And they kept alive their hopes for a clean divisional sweep.

The Mount Vernon Mustangs wrapped up their second straight Wamac Conference East Division girls' basketball championship Tuesday night, handing over only five turnovers in a 54-39 victory over DeWitt Central.

"This means a lot to the kids," said Mustangs Coach Bob Kintzel, who improved his five-year mark to 99-18. "I don't think anybody expected us to come back and repeat."

Mount Vernon (14-4 overall, 12-0 Wamac East) lost a slew of size and talent from a run that produced a Class 2A state championship in 2010 and a 3A runner-up finish last year. But the Mustangs have rebuilt with a retooled attack that revolves around its perimeter players.

Western Illinois University signee Liz Skotowski led the Mustangs with 16 points. Laura Deininger added 11 points (including seven in a 60-second span in the fourth quarter that clinched the outcome), and Miranda Chapman posted seven points and five of the Mustangs' 14 assists.

That's right. Fourteen assists and five turnovers. That's efficiency.

"We have a drill in which we try to wrap up the ball and protect it," Skotowski said. "We knew if we stuck together and worked hard we could accomplish some things this year, regardless of all the seniors we lost."

And the Mustangs aren't devoid of a post. Emma Pisarik accounted for 10 points and nine rebounds.

"It's (a) different (role for me)," Pisarik said. "I knew I really had to step up. We've worked a lot on our inside-outside game."

These teams played three intense games last year (the Mustangs won two, including one in the state semifinals), but this one belonged to Mount Vernon from the start.

The host team built a 15-7 lead after a quarter and extended it to 26-17 at the half. Central (9-9, 6-6) cut a 13-point deficit to seven twice in the fourth quarter, but Deininger had a basket, nailed a 3-pointer, then turned a steal into a layup that made it 45-33 with 3:40 to go.

The Mustangs hit eight 3-pointers in 20 attempts.

Meghan McClimon led Central with 21 points.

MOUNT VERNON 54, DE WITT CENTRAL 39

At Mount Vernon

DE WITT CENTRAL (39): Sara McAleer 1-5 0-2 2, Meghan McClimon 7-17 7-9 21, Lynn Dohrmann 0-0 0-0 0, Miranda Meland 1-6 2-2 4, Brianna Keuter 3-6 0-0 6, Auburn Templeton 2-5 2-2 6, Abigail Willis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-39 11-15 39.

MOUNT VERNON (54): Miranda Chapman 2-7 2-4 7, Laura Deininger 5-9 0-0 11, Liz Skotowski 6-19 0-0 16, Hannah Wieditz 0-0 0-0 0, Emma Pisarik 5-7 0-0 10, Allison Platte 3-5 0-0 8, Gabby Kolker 1-3 0-0 2, Macy Rice 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-50 2-4 54.

Halftime: Mount Vernon 26, Central 17.

3-point goals: Central 0-3 (McAleer 0-2, Meland 0-1), Mount Vernon 8-20 (Chapman 1-2, Deininger 1-2, Skotowski 4-13, Platte 2-3).

Team fouls: Central 9, Mount Vernon 14.

Fouled out: none.

Rebounds: Central 30 (Templeton 8), Mount Vernon 26 (Pisarik 9).

Assists: Central 7 (McClimon 4), Mount Vernon 14 (Chapman 5).

Steals: Central 2 (Meland 2), Mount Vernon 2 (Deininger, Kolker).

Turnovers: Central 13, Mount Vernon 5.