Preview: Boonville Pioneers vs. Mt. Vernon Wildcats
The Boonville Pioneers will take on the Mt. Vernon Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Boonville is no doubt hoping to put an end to an 11-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Last Tuesday, Boonville came up short against the Panthers and fell 58-48. While losing is never fun, Boonville can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 287th, while the Panthers are ranked 56th).
Meanwhile, with a playoff game on the line, Mt. Vernon rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They walked away with a 42-29 win over the Bulldogs. The victory was a breath of fresh air for Mt. Vernon as it put an end to their 11-game losing streak.
Arlissa Sharber was a one-man wrecking crew for Mt. Vernon as she dropped a double-double on 23 points and 18 rebounds. That makes it three consecutive games in which Sharber has scored at least a third of Mt. Vernon's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Hannah McNeece, who scored nine points along with four steals.
Boonville has been struggling recently as they've lost ten of their last 11 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-19 record this season. As for Mt. Vernon, their win bumped their record up to 3-20.
Everything came up roses for Boonville against the Wildcats in their previous meeting back in December of 2023 as the squad secured a 53-18 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Boonville since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
