Rivalry Saturday 2024: Mount Vernon 52, Estherville-Lincoln Central 42

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Who are we kidding? It wasn’t just another game.

“You don’t get a lot of opportunities to play a game again,” Mount Vernon Coach Nate Sanderson said. “There was obviously a lot of motivation from that.

“It feels like redemption.”

Class 3A second-round Mount Vernon avenged its state-semifinal loss to No. 1 Estherville-Lincoln Central, 52-42, at Rivalry Saturday at Johnson Hall.

Evansville recruit Sydney Huber led Mount Vernon (1-0) with 19 points, and the Mustangs closed the game with a 15-4 surge after ELC (1-2) took a brief 38-37 lead.

“We could have played an easier team here today,” Mount Vernon’s Taylor Franck said. “But we wanted to play a harder team to see what we are.”

And what are they?

“We’re good,” Franck said.

Good, and motivated.

“The last game of last year didn’t end the way we wanted,” Huber said. “We really wanted to start (this season) on the right note.”

Mount Vernon seemed to be in control most of the way, but the Mustangs didn’t put a headlock on it until late.

Trailing 38-37 with 7 1/2 minutes left, Mount Vernon took the lead for good on a bucket by Chloe Meester, a three-point play by Franck (off a sweet feed from freshman Savanna Wright) and another Meester jumper.

Meester added 12 points, Franck 10.

Minnesota State recruit Haylee Stokes led ELC with 20 points despite a sore ankle.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com