Mount Pulaski defeats Greenview 54-37
- Hilltoppers celebrate Senior Night

[March 01, 2021]  Six senior basketball players and three senior cheerleaders were honored at Mount Pulaski High School Friday night just before the Varsity game between Mount Pulaski and Greenview.

The senior cheerleaders on the 2021 squad are: Anna Schoth, Emma Buenrostro and Lexis Caslin.

The senior basketball players on the 2021 squad are: Tanner Pharis, Emery Matthews, Grant Davis, Matthew Hagenbuch, Colton Hagan and Josh Lawson.

The Hilltoppers hosted Greenview on Friday night at the Ed Butkovich Gymnasium. The first quarter scoring was led off by senior Colton Hagan with a bucket in the lane to give the Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead early. Greenview would take a 5-2 lead around the three-minute mark but the Hilltoppers tied the game on free throws by Josh Lawson and Aidan Schneider. The game was tied 5-5 at the end of one quarter of play.

The second quarter was a parade of threes by both teams and several lead changes. Grant Davis put Mount Pulaski up 8-5 with his three early on. Trevor Booth answered for Greenview with a three. Lane Murphy went all the way to the bucket after swiping the ball from the Bulldogs and gave Mount Pulaski a 10-8 lead. After a basket by Greenview’s David Arkebauer tied the game, Davis would hit another three to put Mount Pulaski back on top, 13-10 the score.

A three by Schneider kept the Hilltoppers in the lead, 16-12, with 3:37 left in the quarter. By the 2:42 mark Greenview had tied the game at 16-16.

Murphy would regain the lead for Mount Pulaski with his basket in the lane and the foul shot that followed. Blake Tisdale poured in the final five points of the quarter for the Bulldogs and this allowed Greenview to take a 21-19 lead into the locker room at the half.

Lane Murphy scored the next six points for Mount Pulaski as the third quarter transpired and just like that the Hilltoppers were back on top, 25-21 the score.

Schneider’s basket in the paint stretched that lead to 27-21. Schneider was also pumped up on defense and had the Bulldogs rattled.

With 2:44 showing on the third quarter clock, Davis hit another three and the lead grew to 30-21.

Lawson tossed up two points in the paint to make the score 32-21 and just like that a 13-0 run by the Hilltoppers changed the game. Nate Turley’s two free throws in the quarter would be the only points scored by the Bulldogs.

Mount Pulaski’s Davis hit another three with 1:25 on the clock and he was definitely finding a groove. Seconds later it was Hilltoppers’ Landon Smith with the steal and going all the way to the basket, tossing the ball high off the backboard and in for two points.

The Hilltoppers now held a 37-23 advantage over the Bulldogs to close out the third quarter.

Davis quickly opened the fourth quarter with a three, his fifth of the game. The Bulldogs still had some fight in them and after threes by Tisdale and Nate Turley, the Hilltoppers lead was cut to 41-29.

Mount Pulaski was not about to let this one slip away on Senior Night. Schneider hit a three at the 3:14 mark and Mount Pulaski’s lead was up to 20 points, 49-29 the score.

Hagan hit a three with 2:45 showing and that lead was still comfortable as Mount Pulaski was on top 52-32.

Tanner Pharis would close out the scoring for Mount Pulaski by going full court for the left-handed layup that kissed the glass and drew a huge applause from the fans.

Senior Night 2021 was in the books with the Hilltoppers winning 54-37 over Greenview.

Grant Davis led Mount Pulaski with 15 points. Lane Murphy scored 13 points for the Hilltoppers and Aidan Schneider tossed in 10 points.

Mount Pulaski improves to 7-2 on the season.

In the JV game Mount Pulaski won 51-27 over Greenview. Clay Aylesworth led Mount Pulaski with 15 points.

Mount Pulaski will host Pana today. The JV game will start at 4 p.m. The Varsity game will start at 5:30 p.m.


Varsity scoring

Mount Pulaski 54

Davis 15
Murphy 13
Schneider 10
Hagan 5
Lawson 4
Pharis 2
Kuhlman 2
L. Smith 2
Cooper 1

Greenview 37

Tisdale 12
Nate Turley 9
Nance 6
Booth 3
Dorosheff 2
Arkebauer 2
Westerfield 2
Monroe 1


JV scoring

Mount Pulaski 51

Aylesworth 15
Martin 9
McCormick 7
G. Smith 5
L. Smith 5
Fricke 4
Halsey 2
Kretzinger 2
Allen 2

Greenview 27

Nate Turley 17
Arkebauer 5
Bock 3
Nick Turley 2

[Teena Lowery]