Basketball Recap: Marion Comes Up Short

Marion fought the good fight in their overtime match against Mt. Vernon on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 66-65 to the Mt. Vernon Rams. The Wildcats were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Rams apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

Ethan Simmons

Three Point Percentage (Career)

02/11/25 @ Mt. Vernon	70%
01/17/25 vs Cahokia	67%
01/31/25 vs Waltonville	60%
12/07/24 vs Richland County	60%
12/27/24 vs Galesburg	57%

Despite the defeat, Marion had strong showings from Ethan Simmons, who went 7-for-10 from beyond the arc to rack up 25 points, and Kaden Rogowski, who went 6-for-15 en route to 22 points and five boards. The dominant performance also gave Simmons a new career-high in three-point shooting accuracy (70%). Kyan Cole was another key player, putting up nine points.

Even though they lost, Marion was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mt. Vernon only racked up six assists.

Mt. Vernon found their leader in sophomore David Barnes, who dropped a double-double with 30 points and 12 rebounds. The game was Barnes' third in a row with at least 24 points. Another player making a difference was Eli Prost, who posted eight points.

Marion's loss dropped their record down to 19-5. As for Mt. Vernon, their victory was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-8.

Coming up, Marion will host Centralia at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Centralia will roll in looking for their 19th straight win, something Marion surely won't give up without a fight. As for Mt. Vernon, they will face off against Cahokia at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.