By Trenton Baty

The Mount Vernon girl’s basketball team won their first post-season game against West Liberty Feb. 13, 66-47. Mount Vernon had home court advantage, and the added bonus of winning the tip gave the Mustangs the chance to set the tempo of the game. Coach Roloff said that tempo was the most important part of the game. “We needed to play our speed and not let the other team control us,” said Roloff.

The Mustangs dominated the first half outscoring West Liberty 41-25. This lead due in part to Kristen Elliott who had 13 consecutive points in the second quarter. Big defensive plays from Libby Ryan and Kaitlyn Volesky also contributed to keeping MV ahead.

The second half was very similar to the first. Mount Vernon didn’t slow down at all. The third quarter buzzer sounded and West Liberty found themselves at a 57-39 deficit. The final quarter was a group effort for the Mustangs as they pulled their starters and put in the reserve players who finished the game strong.

The star of the game was Kaitlyn Volesky who finished the game with 19 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. Volesky was excited with how the team played on Saturday but was already looking to the next game. “We played as a team tonight but our next game will be the toughest of the year. As long as we play the same way we shouldn’t have any trouble winning,” said Volesky. The girls had a quick turnaround and played again Wednesday Feb. 17.