Hearts Post Apollo Win at Mt. Zion

The Effingham Hearts posted one of their biggest wins of the season Friday night beating the Mt. Zion Braves 58-52 at Mt. Zion. The contest was heard on Classic Hits 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

Effingham went into the contest at 4-11 while Mt. Zion was 11-3 and always play tough at home. The Hearts stayed close early, though, and it was anybody's game from that point.

The teams exchanged early leads and the score was tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter. Mt. Zion had pulled ahead 30-27 at halftime, but the Hearts surged in the third quarter, outscoring the Braves 16-4 in the period to lead 43-34 heading into the fourth quarter.

Mt. Zion turned up their defensive pressure and the Hearts blinked, seeing their lead dwindle to one. Effingham regrouped, though, and even Mt. Zion outscored the Hearts 18-15 in the final period, Effingham pushed the lead back up to a two-possession advantage and claimed the six-point win.

Brayden Pals stepped up and played what Coach Obie Farmer termed the best game of his career. Pals scored 16 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. He blocked shots and attacked the basket on offense. Garrett Wolfe also scored 16 points and chipped in with eight rebounds while sometimes being triple-teamed by the Braves. Jett Volpi hit three first half three-point shots and finished by making two big free throws late in the game to close with 11 points. Ethan Ritz finished with eight points, Dalton Fox scored four points while playing tough defense, Andrew Splechter made two foul shots and Armando Estrada hit a big fourth quarter free throw for his only point.

Effingham made 16 of 44 shots for 36% including eight of 19 three. The Hearts poured in 18 of 23 free throws, turned the ball over 16 times, but ripped down 42 rebounds.

Mt. Zion shot just 32% from the field, 21 of 65, but made just five of 11 foul shots. Mt. Zion turned the ball over just seven times, but grabbed just 29 rebounds. Mt. Zion tried 31 three-point shots and made just five. 

Ethan Hamrick kept Mt. Zion afloat, scoring 29 points on 12 of 22 shooting.

Effingham improved to 5-11 with their first Apollo Conference win of the season and their first win outside a tournament setting. Mt. Zion slipped to 11-4 and 2-2 in the Apollo.

Effingham won the JV game 69-47.