Box Score Femi Thompson (Cincinnati, OH/Aiken) scored 20 points, leading four other Mount double-figure scorers on Saturday night, as the Lions posted a season-opening 87-72 win over Berry College in the MSJ Tip-Off Classic. The Mount, 1-0, will conclude Classic play on Nov. 16 when they host Augustana College.
After close play throughout the early part of the first half, the Lions broke the game open, thanks to shooting 58 percent in the first 20 minutes of action, while holding Berry College to 39 percent shooting. The Lions began to pull away from the Vikings at the 9:42 mark of the first half, after a Mark Allen (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) basket. The Mount connected on four-of-eight three-point attempts in the first half, and made 14-of-19 free throws, grabbing a 48-28 advantage at the intermission.
The Vikings were never able to significantly cut into the Mount lead, as they connected on only one-of-eight from long range, while the Mount continued to add to the lead at one point, holding a 26-point advanatage, 67-41, at 11:22 after Joel Scudder (Greendale, IN/South Dearborn) made a three-point shot. Fourteen players in all would play for the Mount in the season opener, with half getting into the scoring column.
Scudder added 17 points for the Lions, while teamates Travis Combs (Manchester, OH/Manchester), 16 points, Andy Countryman (Peebvles, OH/Peebles), 12 points and Allen, 11 points also scored in double-digits. Combs and Allen had five assists, while Ken Kunkel (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) chipped in a game-high eight rebounds ad two steals. The Mount out-shot Berry College, 53 percent to 41 percent from the field.
