Mooresville uses height advantage in rout of Avon in girls basketball
MOORESVILLE, Ind. — Height matters in basketball. On Tuesday night, Mooresville showed why in a nonconference battle with Avon.
From start to finish, Mooresville dominated the paint. Whether it was scoring inside, grabbing rebounds or sending back shots, the Pioneers had it figured out. In fact, a chunk of the team's points came off second-chance opportunities, leading to a 15-4 first quarter advantage.
That lead would only grow as the Pioneers defeated Avon 58-30, marking its sixth win in seven games, and fourth straight.
"Going into it, we knew they were scrappy," Mooresville junior Rachel Harshman said. "We studied a lot about their personnel. The coaches did a good job at preparing us. We knew a big key to the game was rebounding, so we came out and focused on that. It played into how the game went for us."
Finding a groove
Mooresville has seen its struggles shooting. Entering the matchup with Avon, the Pioneers shot at a 38% clip on the season. That mark has seen improvement in the team's last three outings.
Since Nov. 22, Mooresville's shot at a much improved 46.6%. A key part of the reason as to why is the fact this team is finally starting to gel. Starting the season without last year's senior trio, which made a great deal of the offense, it was always going to take time for this team to catch its groove. They're finally starting to do that.
Then again, when Harshman plays like she did against the Orioles, there isn't much Mooresville can't do. The junior notched a team-high 20 points, her third time breaking the 20-point barrier this season.
In addition, the emergence of Randee Garringer has been encouraging. For the second consecutive game, the sophomore had a double-digit point total, scoring 13 against Avon. Sophomore Ava Shafer added 10 points.
"I think we're really gelling together as a team right now," Harshman said. "Our offense is coming together. Not only is it easier for me to score, personally, but it's easier to, as a team, get each other open and find the best shot. It's really helping our offense, and it gains momentum for defense. I give a lot of credit to my teammates for helping me get open and delivering good passes to get me the ball."
What it means
This is the brand of basketball many − Mooresville coach Mark Hurt included − have been waiting to see. Not only is the team scrappy, often fighting for rebounds and loose balls, but its prowess on both ends of the floor is growing.
In its last seven outings, Mooresville has held opponents to 32.1 points per game, all while averaging 50 of its own. In the last four, that number has shrunk to 26.8. For comparative purposes, last season's semi-state squad allowed 41.2 points during the same stretch, scoring 53.2 but dropping four of the seven.
In addition, the Pioneers have finally ended their losing spell against Avon, who held a two-game streak over the team with 58-57 and 54-32 victories in 2021 and 2019. Mooresville now owns a 16-4 advantage over the Orioles since 2005.
The Pioneers will hope the string of wins continues to power them through a difficult upcoming stretch of schedule that features Greenwood (6-4), rival Decatur Central (5-4), Mt. Vernon (6-3), Cathedral (4-3) and Franklin Community (6-3).
Looking ahead
Mooresville will get a week's rest before facing off against Greenwood next Tuesday, Dec. 13, followed by the Hawks on Dec. 16 and Marauders on Dec. 20.
Contact reporter Devin Voss at dvoss@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @DevinVoss23.
This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: IHSAA Girls' Basketball: Harshman, Garringer power Mooresville past Avon
