Mount Vernon 53, Audubon 45 (OT)

Mount Vernon put its superior size to good use against Aubudon.

With four players at least 6-feet-1, Mount Vernon dominated the rebounding and beat No. 11 Audubon 53-45 in overtime Tuesday to advance to the Class 2A semifinals.

The Mustangs came away with 22 offensive rebounds and piled up an overall edge of 47-24 on the boards. The offensive rebounding was especially critical in the overtime. Seven of Mount Vernon's first nine points in the extra session came after offensive rebounds, putting the Mustangs in the lead for good.

Taylor Discus led Mount Vernon with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Courtney Kintzel, an all-state volleyball player who helped Mount Vernon win the 2A championship in that sport last fall, grabbed 10 rebounds and scored four points.

Sarah Ryan added eight points for the Mustangs and Karly Cochrane sank five of six free throws in the overtime to keep them in the lead.

Mount Vernon's size was such a factor that early in the second quarter, the Mustangs had a 16-1 rebounding edge.

Mykel Branna's 14 points led Audubon, which doesn't have a player taller than 5-9. Brittni Obermeier scored 12 for the Wheelers, who scrapped hard enough to build a 37-31 lead midway through the fourth quarter but couldn't hold on.

Ryan's baseline jumper tied the score at 51 with 59 seconds left in regulation and Kintzel denied Audubon a last shot by picking off a pass just before the buzzer.

Mount Vernon takes a 24-3 record into a semifinal game with ninth-ranked Roland-Story at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Audubon had a 20-game winning streak broken and finishes 21-2.