Mount Vernon waxes West Marshall, returns to the 3A state semifinals

DES MOINES — Freshman nerves, Savanna Wright felt them.

All it took to soothe them was the familiar feel of leather in her hands.

“Once I touch the basketball, everything feels fine,” she said.

Wright scored a career-high 23 points, and top-ranked Mount Vernon was clinical throughout in a 75-19 Class 3A quarterfinal rout of West Marshall at the girls’ state basketball tournament Monday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

“It’s just Mustang basketball,” Courtney Franck said. “We’re always looking to push. Not many teams have the ball movement we do. It’s great team basketball.”

Pretty to watch, to be sure.

Mount Vernon (24-1) put it away early with runs of 10-0 and 25-0, and returned to the 3A semifinals for the second straight year.

There, the Mustangs will face No. 6 Estherville-Lincoln Central (21-3) at 1:30 Thursday afternoon.

It was ELC that sidelined Mount Vernon last year.

Mount Vernon didn’t have Wright then. Her promotion from middle school has been one major reason that the Mustangs have made the step from very good to elite.

“She’s unbelievable,” Coach Nate Sanderson said. “I knew she was going to be good. I didn’t know she was going to be this good, this soon.”

Sanderson loves numbers, and here’s one he really loves: Wright has committed 19 turnovers in 24 games.

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Wright made 9 of 11 shots Monday, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

“It’s great to play with her,” Courtney Franck said. “She wants to be a WNBA player someday. Seeing what she does now, as a freshman ... it’s awesome to be a part of it.”

West Marshall (19-6) was an upset victor over No. 4 Forest City in the regional finals. But as the Trojans discovered, Mount Vernon is a different beast entirely.

The Mustangs spotted West Marshall the first basket, but were in control, 12-2, by the midpoint of the first quarter. The eight-minute 25-0 onslaught made it 42-7.

It was 47-9 at halftime, 64-11 after three quarters.

“We love to share the ball,” Evansville signee Sydney Huber said after scoring 16 points. “You shoot a better percentage that way.

“Savanna said she was nervous. If she was, she needs to be nervous more often.”

Mount Vernon shot 52 percent from the field (30 of 58), including 13 of 25 from loing range. The Mustangs accumulated 18 assists (the Franck twins combined for 13) and collected 16 steals.

Bella Borgos scored seven points to pace West Marshall.

Mount Vernon 75, West Marshall 19

Class 3A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

WEST MARSHALL (19): Bella Borgos 3-18 0-0 7, Lily Zahnd 1-4 2-2 4, Natalie Nichols 1-5 0-0 2, Halle Jones 1-4 0-0 2, Avery Evertsen 0-1 0-0 0, Olivia Randall 0-0 0-0 0, Riley Randall 0-3 0-0 0, Mia Christianson 0-0 0-0 0, Delaney Eldridge 0-1 0-0 0, Kinley Johnston 0-2 0-0 0, Lilie Rosedale 1-1 0-0 2, Shelby Johnston 1-3 0-0 2, Nelle Kemmerer 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 8-44 2-2 19.

MOUNT VERNON (75): Savanna Wright 9-11 0-0 23, Taylor Franck 3-9 0-0 7, Chloe Meester 3-8 0-0 6, Courtney Franck 3-7 1-3 7, Sydney Huber 6-10 1-1 16, Alivia Truitt 0-0 0-0 0, Quinn Pershing 3-3 0-0 8, Eryn Jackson 2-5 0-0 6, Lucy Wischmeyer 0-4 0-0 0, Sophia Meester 0-0 0-0 0, Rylee Rasmussen 1-1 0-0 2, Ella Wilson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-58 2-4 75.

West Marshall 7 2 2 8 — 19

Mount Vernon 25 22 17 11 — 75

3-point goals: West Marshall 1-15 (Borgos 0-8, Zahnd 0-1, Jones 0-1, R. Randall 0-3, K. Johnston 0-1, Kemmerer 0-1), Mount Vernon 13-25 (Wright 5-7, T. Franck 1-3, C. Franck 0-1, Huber 3-6, Pershing 2-2, Jackson 2-5, Wischmeyer 0-1). Team fouls: West Marshall 6, Mount Vernon 8. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: West Marshall 28 (Zahnd, S. Johnston 6), Mount Vernon 37 (Meester 9). Assists: West Marshall 2 (Borgos, O. Randall), Mount Vernon 18 (C. Franck 7). Steals: West Marshall 4 (four with 1), Mount Vernon 16 (Wright, T. Franck, C. Franck 4). Turnovers: West Marshall 21, Mount Vernon 7.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com