Will Davis had 24 points for the boys, Bridget Creed had 16 for the girls, and Meridian High School took a pair of wins from Mount Vernon on basketball opening night.

Hoops season started out with a bang for the Meridian Mustangs, with Jim Smith’s boys and Chris Carrico’s girls each playing host to 6A foe Mount Vernon on Tuesday night. Both squads figure to be Northwestern District heavyweights – they always are – despite severe roster turnover, and they hit the ground running with 1-0 starts.

The girls played first, winning 47-24. It was a slow start for both teams with a score of 19-9 at the half, and Meridian’s best offense was its turnover-forcing defense that provided the Mustangs with fast break opportunities aplenty. The girls were able to start knocking down some shots in the second half, pulling away to the comfortable 23-point win.

The boys raced out to a big lead primarily courtesy of Davis, who hit six threes and had 21 of his 24 points in the first half. They led 39-22 at the break and extended their advantage to 21 early in the third quarter, but Mount Vernon came fighting back and got as close as within four late. Jake Bryan and Marquis Myles converted a pair of clutch buckets to quiet the nerves, and the home team held on for the 64-59 victory.

Carrico was pleased with his girls’ performance. Smith noted some frustration with turnovers and missed free throws, but was proud of the way the boys pulled through in what figures to be a year of growth for a squad that lost four starters from last season.

Next up, both the boys and girls play Kettle Run. The girls will be on the road on Thursday and the boys will be at home on Friday.