By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — After a slow start, Zack Kleine ignited Mount Vernon’s offense in the second quarter, and Josh Engler headlined a strong inside attack in the second half as the Mountaineers decked Ava 66-55 Saturday afternoon in a Class 3 basketball quarterfinal at the Hammons Student Center.
The Mountaineers (24-7) continue to Columbia and will battle Hogan Prep Academy Charter (22-6), a 54-45 winner over Maryville, in a semifinal game at 5 p.m. Thursday at Mizzou Arena. Mount Vernon, in the state tournament for the 15th time, is in the semifinals for the first time since 2006.
Guards Josh Wendler and Jacob Schnieder hit two baskets apiece as Ava (21-7) jumped out to a 15-5 lead in the first six minutes.
“I was a little worried for a little bit,” Engler said, “but I knew we’d get back. Coach Brock knows how to coach.”
“Give them credit. They played extremely well in the first quarter,” Mount Vernon head coach Skip Brock said. “They executed their offense. All the things that we had designed our defense to stop, they were able to do. I thought our young players were a little awestruck at the beginning, but from the second quarter on, I thought we played some really good basketball.”
But from that 10-point lead, Ava scored just 10 points in the rest of the half. Mount Vernon, meanwhile, outscored the Bears 22-10 in the second period to claim a 31-25 halftime advantage.
“Defense ... everything revolves around defense at Mount Vernon,” Engler said. “It put us in gear, gave us effort, and we went in up at halftime.”
“I know this is coach talk, but defense wins championships, and our kids understand that,” Brock said. “We just were a little unfocused. I don’t think it was lack of effort. I think it was the atmosphere and the fact that we were one game away from our chance to go to the Final Four. But they responded well.”
Kleine, 6-foot-5 senior, had one basket in the first quarter, but in the second stanza, Kleine scored on a rebound basket, a 3-pointer from the top of the key, a baseline jumper and a jumper from the foul line that he converted into a three-point play. He also passed to Shane Williams for a jumper in the lane a minute before halftime.
“I thought Zack had a good second quarter offensively, and that relaxed the rest of the team,” Brock said. “Even though he only had 14 points, he creates a lot of opportunities for the other guys.”
Engler, after two first-half points, worked inside for eight points in each of the last two quarters, and Jackson Tettenhorst scored all nine of his points in the second half in the paint.
“That was our game plan the whole time,” Kleine said. “We just didn’t come out and execute it the first half. At halftime we had a good talk, and we came out and executed well.”
“Engler had an outstanding game in the district championship against Seneca,” Brock said. “He comes back in the quarterfinal and has 18 points and seven or eight rebounds. You just can’t say enough about those three seniors. Tettenhorst had a better second half after getting in a little foul trouble.
“And give credit to our freshman-sophomore guard combination. Kaden (Jones, a sophomore) makes a big layup at the end of the third quarter ... at the time they had momentum, and that kind of took momentum away a little bit. And Shane Williams just makes big plays.”
Kleine finished with 14 points, and Jones and Williams both scored 12.
Pete Leonard, 6-5 junior post player, had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Ava. Trae Shelton hit four treys for 12 points, and Mitchell scored 10.
