MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets girls basketball team came onto the court Tuesday determined to get its first win of the year.
For three quarters, it looked like a distinct possibility.
Then the Jackets let the game slip away in a series of turnovers and missed shots, as Westerville Central came away with a 35-25 victory.
For the first three periods, it looked like the Jackets had finally solved some of the problems that had kept them out of games. They boxed out well, outrebounding the Warhawks 23-15. They hit twice as many shots from the paint. And they were aggressive on defense.
The wheels fell off in the fourth. A string of eight straight possessions ended in turnovers –– six of them by traveling –– and the Warhawks capitalized on a 15-0 run.
“(Westerville Central) started running a half-court trap that gave us fits,” Mount Vernon head coach Joe Rucker said. “And we were off as well. We panicked in a couple situations.”
