Mount Vernon/Plankinton boys struggle at Parkston Classic, fall to Roncalli

PARKSTON — The Mount Vernon/Plankinton Titans fell behind early and couldn’t recover as the Aberdeen Roncalli Cavaliers won the final game of the Parkston Classic 75-53 Saturday.

The Titans stayed close early on, trailing 10-6 with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter.

But Roncalli closed out the first period with a 14-4 run and a 24-14 lead.

Things got worse for MV/P in the second period.

After a Deric Denning 3-point basket cut the Cavalier advantage to 24-13, Roncalli’s Dominic King scored two baskets and Kory Schwan hit a basket and a 3-point hoop and the Cavaliers lead blossomed to 33-15.

The Titans’ Kellam Karst tried to keep the contest close as he hit a basket and 3-point shot, but Roncalli closed out the half with a 19-point lead at 41-22.

“(Roncalli) put us on our heels to start the game and we just didn’t respond,” MV/P coach Eric Denning said.

The Titans opened the second half shooting the ball better, hitting six 3-point shots in the third quarter. Karst had three, Deric Denning dropped in two and Tate Deinert hit one. But as good as the 3-point shooting was, MV/P only got to within 16 points at the end of the third.

Trailing 60-44 early in the fourth quarter Deric Denning hit a 3-point shot to pull the Titans to within 60-47, but an eventual 7-0 run by Roncallie put the contest away.

“In the second half, I thought we played a little bit better but by then it was too little, too late,” Eric Denning said. “What was disappointing is that in the second half offensively, we played well enough to get ourselves back in the game. But defensively, we just could never get the stop we needed.”

Karst led the Titans (3-2) with 19 points and three assists, followed by Deric Denning with 17 points and Jared Long with four assists. MV/P was 18-of-45 for 40 percent from the field and 6-of-8 for 75 percent from the free-throw line. The Titans grabbed 18 rebounds and committed 16 turnovers.

King led Roncalli (6-1) with 22 points, followed by Schwan with 21 points and Zach Andrea with 12 points.

MV/P tries to bounce back when it takes on Wessington Springs Friday in Plankinton.

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