Patience is a virtue for Mount Vernon in win

MOUNT VERNON - This style of play isn't for everybody. But it suits the Mount Vernon Mustangs just fine.

The Mustangs are stingy, hard-nosed and very, very patient. And they're still tied for first place in the Wamac Conference East Division.

'There's nothing special about what we do,” Coach Matt Haddy said after Mount Vernon held off Class 4A No. 14 Western Dubuque, 37-31, Tuesday night at Mount Vernon High School.

'We've established an identity. We're going to play hard. We're going to make it difficult on the other team when we defend. And we're going to strive to get good shots each time down the floor.”

This is Haddy's first season as the girls' head varsity coach. The new style has taken some adjustment.

'At first, it was hard to get used to,” senior Kristen Elliott said. 'The team has done a really good job, settling down on offense. It's a matter of getting stops and getting good shots.”

The Mustangs (11-4, 7-1) play at Anamosa on Friday. The winner will own sole possession of the Wamac East lead.

Western Dubuque (9-4, 5-3) managed just 14 points through the first three quarters. The Bobcats did cut an 11-point deficit to 25-22 on Peyton Koerperich's 3-pointer with 2:52 left, but Ella Brase answered with a trey of her own, then the Mustangs closed it out at the free-throw line.

Mount Vernon didn't shoot a free throw for the first three quarters, then was 9 of 13 in the fourth.

Summer Brand came off the bench to pace the winners with nine points and five rebounds. Elliott added eight points, Sammy Moss seven.

Western Dubuque's Lindsey Eimers led all scorers with 14 points, all in the second half.

The Mustangs took just 30 shots all game, making 12. A good number of their possessions lasted more than a half-minute.

'I wouldn't say we hold the ball,” Haddy said. 'But we want to get the shot we want, and as a result, the scores are going to be low.”

MOUNT VERNON 37, WESTERN DUBUQUE 31

At Mount Vernon

WESTERN DUBUQUE (31): Lindsey Eimers 5-14 2-2 14, Emma Baumhover 0-4 0-0 0, Chloe Baumgartner 0-4 0-2 0, Karlie Fagan 3-5 0-1 6, McKenzie Maahs 2-2 0-0 4, Peyton Koerperich 1-3 0-0 3, Jenna Burds 2-3 0-0 4, Kacey Eimers 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 13-37 2-5 31.

MOUNT VERNON (37): McKenzie Hartl 2-2 0-0 4, Ella Brase 1-5 0-0 3, Noelle Ossenkop 0-0 0-0 0, Sammy Moss 3-5 0-0 7, Kristen Elliott 2-8 4-4 8, Annie Rhomberg 0-1 2-3 2, Summer Brand 2-4 3-6 9, Catherine Yeoman 0-2 0-0 0, Katheryn Opperman 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 12-30 9-13 37.

Halftime: Mount Vernon 16, Western Dubuque 8. 3-point goals: Western Dubuque 3-13 (L.Eimers 2-5, Baumhover 0-4, Baumgartner 0-1, Koerperich 1-3), Mount Vernon 4-9 (Brase 1-1, Moss 1-1, Elliott 0-2, Brand 2-3, Yeoman 0-2). Team fouls: Western Dubuque 18, Mount Vernon 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Western Dubuque 21 (Fagan 5), Mount Vernon 24 (Brand 5). Assists: Western Dubuque 6 (L.Eimers 3), Mount Vernon 6 (Moss, Rhomberg 2). Steals: Western Dubuque 2 (L.Eimers, Maahs), Mount Vernon 4 (Moss 2). Turnovers: Western Dubuque 12, Mount Vernon 18.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com