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Mt. Vernon breezes by rival New Rochelle
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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Jarrel Marshall had missed Mount Vernon’s last three games with a concussion, and the senior standout was in the starting lineup on Wednesday afternoon.
When Marshall finally stepped onto the court late in the first quarter against New Rochelle, he was giving headaches, not feeling them.
The 6-foot-6 forward poured in 17 points and four rebounds in only about 15 minutes of play as the Knights blew past host New Rochelle 82-48 in a Section 1 Class AA boys basketball matchup.
“I’ve had a couple of good practices and I knew I was prepared for this,” said Marshall, who was offered a scholarship by St. Peter’s after the game. “This was my first concussion, but I felt like I could have played a few days after. But I’m just happy to be back.”
Marshall wasn’t the only Mount Vernon (5-1) player elevating their Division I stock on Wednesday. Isaiah Cousins, who had 22 points and six assists in three quarters, received an offer from Rhode Island. Cousins was also offered by Dayton this week.
As a team, the defending Class AA state and Federation champs put up a jaw-dropping performance. Qwedere Lovell scored 12 points and William Robinson had eight points and eight rebounds.
“I’m very happy with how we shared the ball,” Knights coach Bob Cimmino said. “I’m happy to have Jarrel and Isaiah clicking on high cylandars. The best thing is that our defense was good early and then we shared the ball.”
The play of Marshall was the most promising of all. He entered the game late in the first and contributed immediately, snaring an offensive rebound and putting it back in for the basket.
Marshall, who later hit a 3-pointer, was a huge presence as Mount Vernon went on an 18-0 run that spanned the end of the first and opening minutes of the second quarters. He had 12 points in the first half as the Knights opened up a 21-point lead.
“(Marshall) was better than I expected,” Cimmino said. “He always seems to play well versus New Rochelle. He really does. His ability to block shots, and when he’s hitting the 3-pointers and rebounding, it’s a pleasure to have him back.”
Cousins scored 14 of his points in the third quarter as Mount Vernon blew the game open.
“I really enjoyed the unselfish he played with in the third quarter,” Cimmino said. “That really makes us run.”
Joe Clarke had 12 points for New Rochelle, which couldn’t compete with Mount Vernon on the boards. The Knights won the rebound battle 36-19.
Mount Vernon, which is ranked No. 10 in the MSG Varsity Tri-State poll and No. 1 in the Hudson Valley region, will host New Rochelle again on February 8.
Email Kevin Devaney Jr. at kdevaney@cablevision.com
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