By Luke Nadkarni / Scrimmage Play contributor
Late in the second quarter of Friday night’s game at Monticello, Western Albemarle looked out of sorts. The shots weren’t falling, the offense wasn’t running, the defense wasn’t getting stops and head coach and Darren Maynard had just drawn a technical foul during a dead ball.
Then Ryan Ingram happened.
The senior, who tied for a game high with 13 points, went on a personal 10-0 run, including a trio of three-pointers, right after Monticello had taken the lead for the first time, to put Western back in control and from there they cruised in a 59-45 over the Mustangs.
Making the run more amazing was the fact that Ingram had missed his first four three-point attempts of the game as Monticello’s zone defense dared the Warriors to shoot from outside early on.
“Basketball is a game of runs,” Ingram said. [Monticello] went on a big run. They played awesome. We just had to endure it and make our own run.”
Monticello had just awoken from the dead to go on a 21-4 run spanning the quarters, going ahead with two minutes left in the half on a bucket by Ukari Brooks and a three by Airrick Salisbury. Then Ingram nailed a three on the other end, split a pair of free throws, and knocked down two more treys all in the span of 1:16 to give Western a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
“We had had a really bad defensive lapse, so it was kind of an intense timeout,” Maynard said. “I felt like I had to raise our level, because we weren’t at the one I wanted to be at.”
Western quickly got its advantage to double digits early in the third on Garrett Payne’s old-fashioned three-point play barely a minute into the third and kept Monticello from getting back in the game, only briefly letting the lead fall below 10. The Warriors got a timely three-pointer late in the fourth from sophomore point guard Caleb Perez after Monticello had crept to within nine on Copeland’s third three of the game. Copeland’s shot was the last basket the Mustangs would score.
Early on, it looked like it would be all Western. The Warriors scored the first 13 points of the game and Monticello didn’t get on the board until a three by Kobi Copeland with barely over two minutes in the quarter. The Warriors led 17-7 after one.
Then Monticello got hot from the outside. Salisbury hit a three, followed by a basket from Barbour, then another three from Copeland got Monticello to within two midway through the second. Following Maynard’s technical, which he earned for barking at the official, Salisbury hit one of two foul shots, then Brooks’ basket gave Monticello its first lead of the game at 18-17. Western didn’t score in the first half until Ingram’s first three ignited his outburst.
In addition to Ingram’s output, Jed Strickland posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“I thought Jed was a huge part of this game,” Maynard said. “He played fabulous basketball. That was huge for us.”
For the Mustangs, Brooks led the way with 10 points while Barbour and Copeland each chipped in with nine. Monticello stayed within striking distance thanks in large part to sinking six three-pointers, equaling Western’s output from beyond the arc. But the much taller Warriors dominated inside, easily controlling the glass and getting to the line to pull away.
“Our post players are really good,” Ingram said. “One focus of our game plan was to dominate inside.”
Western returns to action Monday night when it travels to Powhatan. Monticello hosts Louisa County on Tuesday night.
