Lady Toppers outlast Riverton 42-41

~ Mount Pulaski improves to 18-4 on the season

[January 14, 2022] The Lady Toppers hosted Riverton on Thursday night and won a thriller, edging the Hawks 42-41 in the final seconds of the game. 

Riverton went on an 8-0 run to start the game. A slow beginning by the Lady Toppers saw them trailing 14-6 at the end of the first quarter. 

By halftime Mount Pulaski was down 22-18.

The Lady Toppers played a fantastic third quarter, outscoring the Hawks 12-2 in a little over four minutes of action. Grace Davis started the third quarter scoring with a corner three in front of the Hilltoppers student section to close the gap to 22-21. After the Hawks took a 24-21 lead, Alexis Wade nailed a three to tie the game, 24-24. With 5:10 showing on the clock, Riley May rattled the rim with her outside jump shot and the Lady Toppers took over the lead, 26-24 the score. Thirty seconds later, Wade stole the ball and took it to the hoop for a 28-24 Mount Pulaski lead. Clarissa Turner capped off the run with a drive to the basket and her bucket put Mount Pulaski up 30-24. The Hawks would pour in two baskets to end the quarter and set the score at 30-28.

Je’Na Rentmeister extended the lead in the fourth quarter when she hit a jumper to make the score 32-28. A three by Riverton’s Chloie Kendall had the Hawks bench on their feet as the score flashed 32-31. At the 6:32 mark, Rentmeister hit 1-for-2 at the free throw line, giving Mount Pulaski the 33-31 advantage. Another three from Davis gave Mount Pulaski a 36-31 cushion. A minute later though the score showed a slim 36-35 Lady Toppers lead, as Riverton had scored two free throws and a layup during that time span. May’s jumper at the 4:00 mark made the score 38-35 but exactly a minute later the Hawks’ Tori Scales stepped up to drain a three and the ballgame was tied, 38-38 the score. Mount Pulaski missed several shot attempts over the next minute of action but each time the girls crashed the boards and managed to pull down the rebound and start over. Finally with 2:00 left it was Hailee Daigh pulling down the offensive rebound and going up strong for the basket and giving Mount Pulaski a 40-38 lead. It was still too early to count the Hawks out. A three from Kendall with 1:02 left put the Hawks back on top 41-40. Mount Pulaski’s Wade drove down the middle of the lane on the Lady Toppers next possession and she tossed the ball up and got it to bounce from the back of the iron and in for two. Mount Pulaski was up 42-41 as the clock flashed :35 seconds. The Hawks came down the court and missed a shot opportunity and with Wade grabbing the rebound, the Lady Toppers had control of the ball with 9.1 seconds left. The Hawks repeatedly fouled on the inbounds passes and eventually Daigh made a trip to the free throw line for Mount Pulaski. She missed the foul shot with 1.8 seconds left, but the Hawks also missed their attempt to win by a long shot. 

The father-son coaching duo of assistant coach Carey McVickers and head coach Ryan McVickers encourage the girls during a late-game timeout versus an intense matchup with Riverton.

Mount Pulaski escapes with the 42-41 win over Riverton.

The Lady Toppers were led in scoring by Alexis Wade, who had 12 points. 

Mount Pulaski improves to 18-4 on the season.

In the JV game, Riverton defeated Mount Pulaski 25-21. Mackenzi Chandler led the Lady Toppers with 13 points. The JV team has a 5-4 record on the season.

Mount Pulaski will host Senior Night on Monday, January 24, 2022.

Varsity scoring 

Mount Pulaski 42

Wade 12

G. Davis 9

May 8

Rentmeister 5

Daigh 4

X. Turner 2

C. Turner 2

Riverton 41

Kendall 12

Scales 12

H. Petitt 9

B. Petitt 6

Hall 2

JV scoring 

Mount Pulaski 21

Chandler 13

Charron 2

Stone 2

Eskew 2

C. Davis 2

Riverton 25

Durham 7

Petitt 5

Shamblin 5

Churchill 2

Anning 2

Keltner 2

Giberson 2

[Teena Lowery]