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

The Mt. Vernon Rams will take on the Marion Wildcats at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Mt. Vernon is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55 points per game this season.

Last Saturday, Mt. Vernon got the win against Cahokia 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 for 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 en route to 13 points and eight rebounds.

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

Mt. Vernon will need focus on slowing down Ethan Simmons, one of several Marion players who made an impact when they last played. He went 5 of 9 on his way to 16 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaden Rogowski, who posted 14 points and six rebounds.

Mt. Vernon's victory was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-5. As for Marion, their defeat 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. Mt. Vernon hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 55 points per game. However, it's not like Marion struggles in that department as they've been averaging 57.9 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

Mt. Vernon couldn't quite finish off Marion in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 and fell 28-25. Can Mt. Vernon avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.