A three-pointer by McClure right before the buzzer, however, started an 11-0 scoring spree that proved decisive. McClure connected from long range again to open the final quarter, Karey Richardson turned in a three-point play and Nesbit capped the run with a jumper to extend Mt. Vernon’s lead to double-digits, 50-37, at the 6:06 mark.

The Hearts never quit. Logan Heil and Garrett Wolfe both score six points and Splechter added five more before fouling out. A bucket by Heil after grabbing an offensive rebound got Effingham to within six, 56-50, with just under three minutes to play.

But the Rams went 13-for-15 from the free throw line in the final eight minutes, including seven from McClure and Nesbitt in the last 60 seconds, to secure the victory.

“That is a good team with a lot of good pieces; enough pieces to be a regional championship team,” Farmer said. “They have excellent ballhandlers, good shooters and a post player that is disciplined and tough to stop. It reminds me of the team we had here a couple years ago.”

Wolfe knocked down a pair of shots from behind the arc in the first period. His second one got the Hearts within 12-11. They trailed 17-11 at the end of the quarter.

A three-pointer by Donaldson got EHS to within 23-19, but King, who scored seven in the second period, converted a three-point play that helped the Rams extend their lead to 30-21 at intermission.

McClure led the way with a game-high 21 points, including 5-of-7 from long range. Nesbitt scored 20 and King added 17 for the Rams, who have now won six straight after dropping their first two games of the season. Mt. Vernon blistered the nets, knocking down 24-of-40 shots, a 60 percent clip. They were 5-for-15 from behind the arc and 18-of-22 from the foul line.

Splechter and Wolfe paced the Hearts with 17 and 16 points respectively. Heil scored nine and Donaldson added eight. Effingham also shot well, making 20-of-37 attempts, a 54 percent effort. They were 4-for-12 from three-point range and 16-of-24 from the free throw line.

Effingham dipped to 4-5 on the season. The Hearts will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to Teutopolis. They will also play Thursday at Charleston and Saturday at Lincoln.