By Logan Riddick / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
After a tight opening quarter, Monticello broke away on several scoring runs in the second and third quarters and dispatched sixth-seeded Louisa County, 74-35, in a Jefferson District Tournament Quarterfinal Friday night.
“There were a little bit of nerves at the beginning, everybody was tight,” said Monticello coach Robert Shelton. “Our guys responded well. I think we were patient, we didn’t panic, and we made some plays.”
Perhaps impacted by Friday’s weather-related school disruptions, more than halfway through the first quarter the teams had only two points apiece on the board. Monticello finally produced some offense when junior forward Alex McNair scored inside while being fouled, and senior guard Jhalil Mosley rebounded the missed free throw and converted his own three-point play opportunity. The Lions hung tough, and thanks to senior guard Adam Williams’ buzzer-beater from beyond half court, trailed 14-13 after one.
McNair’s strong start in the second quarter fueled a 15-3 Monticello run. First, he drew the third foul on Louisa’s Jeffrey Morse and completed the three-point play. A minute later, McNair left his feet to grab a rebound and score a put back. After Garrett Feagans came off the bench and hit a three for Louisa, senior forward Jahvon Shelton heated up for the Mustangs. He led all scorers with nine points in the quarter, hitting three buckets before drawing fouls and hitting three-of-four from the line. Monticello took a 32-20 lead to the break.
In the third, Shelton and senior guard James Banks helped the Mustangs force a quicker tempo. With the score 38-28 midway through the quarter, Monticello shut the door on the Louisa with a 16-0 run. From the point, Banks fed Shelton, who scored eight, and Mosley added seven.
“We thought that our first half pressure had yet to pay dividends,” said (Coach) Shelton. “We felt that if we continued with the same pressure, the same defensive principles, we would get the stops. We were able to put together a string of stops and convert on the offensive end, and that contributed to that run.”
Mustang reserve players saw significant time in the fourth, with senior Jack Yost knocking in two buckets. For the game, Shelton posted a double-double (game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds), and Mosley added 14. Williams led the Lions with 15 points, and junior Chris Robinson tallied eight.
Louisa ends their second season of all road games at 4-15. Lions coach Brian Wilson looks forward to continued improvement next winter with a long list of returning players.
“All we’ve got to do is keep playing ball,” said Wilson. “We’ve come a long way. I expect things in the future. We have a lot of young talent coming through.”
After splitting the two regular season meetings, Monticello (15-7) will face second-seeded Fluvanna County (17-4) on Tuesday night in the tournament’s second semifinal.
“I feel like we owe them one,” said Shelton, the Mustangs’ forward. “They beat us at their home, and we have to prove to our district that we are the best team.”
Fluvanna is the host site for the semifinals and championship game.
