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  • Mt. Vernon’s Clay Payne passes the ball into the post during a game earlier this season. Paul Hines/Register-News

    Rams go to Althoff on Friday
February 1, 2012

Rams go to Althoff on Friday

By PAUL HINES paul.hines@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — The first time the Rams faced Althoff the game went down to the final seconds.

Mt. Vernon coach Scott Gamber is expecting a similarly intense matchup when the Rams travel to Belleville on Friday night. Mt. Vernon enters the game 17-4 and 5-1 in the South Seven Conference. The Crusaders are 9-11 overall and suffered a 30-point loss to Belleville East earlier this week.

“I know Althoff got beat bad, but I still consider Althoff one of the better teams,” Gamber said.

Ty’Riil Trimble hit the game-winning shot with 3.5 seconds left in the game for Mt. Vernon against Althoff. The basket was Mt. Vernon’s first in about a quarter and a half after building a double-digit lead in the third quarter.

“I don’t think either team had one of their better games,” Gamber said. “I felt like both teams really struggled offensively. It was early in the year. We made a lot of mistakes, especially the second half.”

The Rams defense will again have to focus on containing guard Eldin Salmond. In the first matchup, Salmond scored 11 points on four of seven shooting. Gamber said several different players will guard Salmond during the game in an attempt to slow his offense.

“Defensively, I thought our guards did a good job of keeping him in front of us,” Gamber said. “I thought we had really good (help defense). I thought every time he drove we had somebody there to try to stop him.”

The Crusaders also have the rugged inside presence of Erik Furmanek, who finished with seven points and five rebounds in the first meeting.

After the South Seven matchup, the Rams will refocus for a Saturday home game against Decatur Eisenhower. Earlier this season Eisenhower led Edwardsville with two minutes left in the game.

“If they’re good enough to do that to Edwardsville, they’re good enough to come in here and beat us,” Gamber said.

Friday’s game starts with the junior varsity at 6:15 p.m. Saturday’s contest begins at 5 p.m.

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