NEW MARKET — Just as fast as Southmont lost the lead, the Mounties took it back, and cruised to a 54-46 win over North Vermillion on Thursday night.
After storming out to a 12-5 lead after a quarter, Southmont found themselves behind 22-21 heading into halftime.
And then Sidney Veatch took over the game.
The junior scored 11 points, and grabbed five rebounds in the third period — helping the Mounties (6-3) outscore the Falcons (3-3) 17-8 in the quarter. Veatch led all scorers with 16 points, and recorded another double-double with 14 rebounds. Opposite of Veatch on the block — Belle Miller scored 14 points, and hauled down 10 boards.
“They did the box and one on Addi (Charles), and we kept feeding it to the wings, then one or two dribbles, and great post feeds,” Southmont coach Dustin Oakley said. “I think our bigs are doing a better job of calling for the ball where they want it, and facing up, and being aggressive and keep dominating the paint. It was good to see.”
Charles, the Mounties sharpshooter, was held without a field goal, but the junior grabbed 11 rebounds, and connected on 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Southmont dominated North Vermillion in both areas — winning the rebounding battle 47-34, and reaching the charity stripe 33 times, compared to just four attempts for the Falcons.
With Claire Remley sidelined due to an injury, Oakley inserted Veatch into the starting lineup, and turned to his bench for valuable minutes.
“We’ve talked all preseason about what their job is and what their role is,” he said. “I think the bench has been super positive, and they believe in what we are doing, and they’re encouraging their teammates. That’s what makes good teams. You can have a lot of talent, but if you’re not going to play for each other, you’re not going to win.”
Bailey Thompson led the Mounties off the bench with five points. Natalie Manion also reached double-figures for the Mounties with 10.
A McKenzie Crowder bucket with 3:41 to play in the fourth brought the Falcons within six at 46-40, but an Emma Ward 3-pointer shut the door, and the Mounties held on down the stretch. Crowder led the Falcons with 15 points, while Rylee Dowers added 14. North Vermillion connected on just 21-of-62 shots, while Southmont was 18-of-50 from the field.
The win is the third-straight for the Mounties, and matches the win total from last season.
“This is our second three-game winning streak, where we are just playing smart and aggressive basketball,” Oakley added. “We are playing great team basketball. They just have a huge amount of confidence right now.”
Southmont is off until Tuesday, when they travel to Bethesda Christian with a tip-off time of 7 p.m.
Southmont 54, North Vermillion 46
NV 5 17 8 16 — 46
SM 12 9 17 16 — 54
NV (3-3): Ava Martin 1-6 0-0 2, Rylee Dowers 6-17 1-2 14, McKenzie Crowder 7-22 1-2 15, Cami Pearman 1-1 0-0 3, Callie Naylor 2-4 0-0 4, Brianna West 3-7 0-0 6, Hannah Ellis 1-5 0-0 2; Totals 21-62 2-4 46.
SM (6-3): Marissa Craig 0 0-0 0, Bailey Thompson 2-5 0-0 5, Emma Ward 1-7 1-2 4, Sidney Veatch 7-14 2-7 16, Hannah Thompson 0-2 0-0 0, Addi Charles 0-3 5-6 5, Natalie Manion 3-8 4-10 10, Makayla Oppy 0-0 0-0 0, Belle Miller 5-11 4-8 14; Totals 18-50 16-33 54.
3-Point Shooting: NV 2-13 (Dowers, Pearman), SM 2-17 (Bailey Thompson, Ward).
Rebounds: NV 34, SM 47 (Veatch 14, Charles 11, Miller 10, Manion 4, Ward 2, Oppy).
Turnovers: NV 13, SM 17
