Basketball Game Preview: Marion Wildcats vs. Mt. Vernon Rams

The Marion Wildcats will take on the Mt. Vernon Rams at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Marion is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 57.9 points per game this season.

Last Saturday, Marion was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 49-43 to Centralia.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Ethan Simmons, who went 5 for 9 on his way to 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaden Rogowski, who posted 14 points and six rebounds.

Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon got the win against Cahokia on Saturday by a conclusive 66-44. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 54th, while the Comanches are ranked 241st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Mt. Vernon found their leader in sophomore Trevor Mcclure, who went 8 of 15 on his way to 23 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Mcclure has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of David Barnes, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 13 points and eight rebounds.

Mt. Vernon's win was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-5. As for Marion, their loss ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-4.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Marion hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 57.9 points per game. However, it's not like Mt. Vernon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 55 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Marion skirted past Mt. Vernon 28-25 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Will Marion repeat their success, or does Mt. Vernon have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.