After tough loss to Mount Vernon, Northridge boys look to re-focus

On Feb 15, 2023

ALEXANDRIA ― A historic journey for Northridge has taken a slight turn south, but the Vikings still have time to correct their path.

To do that, they’ll have to re-discover the stingy defense that helped carry them to the first boys basketball league title in school history. And improve their foul shooting.

Neighboring rival Utica put up 65 points to beat the Licking County League-Cardinal Division champions Friday, and on Tuesday, visiting Mount Vernon rallied to force overtime and pulled out an exciting 69-63 win, giving the Vikings their first two-game losing streak of the season.

“We allow only 41 points per game, and we’ve given up 60-plus back-to-back,” coach Bill Mallernee lamented. “We can’t have that. We can score with anyone, but that’s not our style. When we have the lead, we have to run our stuff, be patient and keep grinding.”

“That’s not our mojo at all,” said junior Carter Mallernee, whose 28-point, 11-rebound effort matched the 28 points of sweet-shooting Mount Vernon senior southpaw Hudson Rohler. “They’re a good team and it was a good test going into the tournament, but we need to win games like this.”

The Division I Yellow Jackets (8-12), perhaps a bit underrated while playing a daunting schedule that has included two losses each to Lexington, New Philadelphia and Mansfield Senior, are a future LCL member. And they took a 49-44 lead late in the third quarter when Division III Northridge (16-5) responded.

Justin Townley, who had 12 of his 18 points in the second half, scored on a rebound basket, and Mallernee drilled a 25-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 49-49 tie that gave the Vikings some momentum. Then, they looked to seize control of the see-saw affair, limiting the hot-shooting visitors to just 4-of-11 down the stretch.

Townley scored again inside and hit two free throws and Mallernee added a pair as Northridge led 60-55 with 2:23 left. But the Vikings opened the door, missing a one-and-one shortly later, and Ben Bridges hit a clutch 3 from the left corner, trimming it to 60-58. The host team then missed another one-and-one with 23 seconds, and Rohler’s two foul shots with 11.6 seconds forced overtime as Northridge had its game-winning shot partially blocked.

Townley split a pair at the stripe in overtime for a 61-60 edge, but the Vikings could never re-gain the lead. Caden Rowland sank four straight at the line and the Yellow Jackets made 9-of-12 to cement the victory. The finished 12-of-15 for 80 percent, while Northridge was 10-of-16 for 62 percent. The Vikings hit just 14-of-26 in the 65-62 Utica loss.

“They’re capable of knocking those down. They have that ability,” coach Mallernee said. “But you have to focus for all four quarters and overtime, especially come tournament time.”

“We shoot them all the time in practice. We work hard on them,” Carter Mallernee said.

The teams treated fans to a fast-paced first half that saw Northridge hit a blistering 72 percent from the field (13-of-18), while Mount Vernon was a sizzling 15-of-21 for 71 percent. Rohler had nine first-quarter points and Mallernee eight, including a four-point play off a 3, as the Yellow Jackets led 20-19. Rohler scored eight more in the second with a pair of 3s, but Ethan Payne hit a foul-line jumper and Zach Holder’s 3 pushed the Vikings up 36-34 at the break. Holder, Mallernee and Townley each connected twice beyond the arc in the first half.

Mount Vernon, which started five seniors, finished 25-of-42 from the floor for 59 percent, with Bridges and Trevor Buttke adding 10 points apiece. Ian Travis had four assists for Northridge, 22-of-42 from the field for 52 percent. The teams combined for 16 3s, nine by the Vikings and seven from the Yellow Jackets.