Mount Pulaski tops Delavan 53-35

[January 24, 2022] The Hilltoppers hosted Delavan on Friday night and it sure was not a pretty first quarter for the home team. 

The Panthers sprinted out to a 10-0 lead after the first eight minutes of action on their part. With the entire Panthers starting lineup getting in the scorebook and the Hilltoppers remaining stuck on zero, things looked pretty grim for the purple and gold inside the Ed Butkovich Gymnasium. 

Senior Aidan Schneider would be just the spark Mount Pulaski would need to ignite the offense and with his three at the 6:30 mark in the second quarter, the Hilltoppers were ready to chase down those Panthers. Pretty soon it was Evan Cooper and Lane Murphy tossing in baskets for Mount Pulaski and the score was 10-7 all of a sudden. A three by Landon Horning hushed the Mount Pulaski crowd and stretched the gap to 13-7. But here comes Cullen Tyson. Tyson scored a basket at the 3:08 mark and then less than a minute later he just took control and broke through the defense and to the bucket he went with another two points. This made the score 15-11 and Mount Pulaski was certainly charged up after that move by Tyson. With 1:23 showing on the clock, it was Schneider from the top of the key touching nothing but net and the Hilltoppers were down by a point, 15-14 the score. With 40.5 seconds left, Murphy would swipe the ball from a Panther and head towards the MP basket for a layup. Murphy gave the Hilltoppers a 16-15 lead and that score would remain heading into halftime.

The third quarter scoring began with Cooper draining a three to extend the Hilltoppers lead to 19-15. Mount Pulaski continued playing outstanding team basketball and with Schneider and Murphy still hitting shots, the Mount Pulaski lead was 26-19 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. Cooper would connect for another three at the 1:35 mark and Mount Pulaski was on top 29-22. Seconds later Murphy fired a quick pass under the basket to Clay Aylesworth and he was in the scoring column with his bank shot. Murphy hit another three for Mount Pulaski with under a minute to play and this would give the Hilltoppers their biggest lead so far, 34-22 the score. The third quarter came to a close with Mount Pulaski leading 35-25.

The Hilltoppers were on fire in the fourth quarter, too. Cooper was quick to hit a three when the quarter started. He was followed by Aylesworth stepping beyond the arc and dialing long distance for a three. This gave Mount Pulaski a commanding 41-25 lead. With Murphy pouring in the next five points for Mount Pulaski, the lead just kept building. After Schneider swiped the ball and took off running for the layup, the Hilltoppers lead was 49-29. Murphy, who was 5-for-5 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, stretched the lead to 51-29 at the 1:32 mark. With Mount Pulaski relieving the starters down the stretch, perhaps the loudest applause of the night was still in the distance.  

Fan favorite Devin Brady, a 5’9 senior, entered the game and showed off his basketball moves in the lane. Brady stepped up and tossed the ball in from just inside the paint and the Hilltoppers bench, student section and the crowd all went wild. The gym absolutely erupted when the ball fell through the net. Brady’s bucket made the score 53-32. One more three from Delavan and the final score was set at 53-35. 

What a great comeback by the Hilltoppers!

Mount Pulaski was led in scoring by Lane Murphy with 20 points. Evan Cooper contributed 11 points. Aidan Schneider started it all and finished with 10 points.

Mount Pulaski improved to 12-6 on the season. 

In the JV game, Delavan beat Mount Pulaski 47-30. Ethan Payne led Mount Pulaski with 10 points.

Varsity scoring

Mount Pulaski 53

Murphy 20

Cooper 11

Schneider 10

Aylesworth 6

Tyson 4

Brady 2

Delavan 35

Horning 8

Sundell 6

Brockhouse 5

Lake 4

Bell 4

Hilst 3

Seaton 3

Noreuil 2

JV scoring 

Mount Pulaski 30

Payne 10

Solomon 7

McCormick 4

Deibert 3

Gibbs 3

Selinger 3

Delavan 47

McLean 15

Seaton 8

Horning 6

Hansen 5

Behrends 5

Pagel 3

Arrenholz 3

Nafziger 2

[Teena Lowery]