A balanced offensive attack and a timely defensive shift sparked William Monroe’s girls basketball team Tuesday night to a 64-61 victory over John Handley High on the road, giving Monroe a chance to play for a state quarterfinal bid against Millbrook in the Region II, Division 3 semifinals.
So much for a rebuilding year.
The Dragons, who lost a slew of seniors to graduation last year that played critical roles, rallied around a young player this time, sophomore Alex Cave. Cave poured in 24 points, steadying Monroe down the stretch even as Handley sliced into a 13-point lead and cut it to just two points.
That’s when Katelyn Roach buried a 3-pointer with about 3:30 to go in the game, pushing the lead back to five.
“Every time they made a run, we answered them,” said Monroe coach Phillip Lamb. “That was definitely a sign of growth for this team.”
Cave took a step forward too, coming on strong with 10 points in the fourth quarter. She went 12-for-12 from the free throw line and led the Dragons in assists with eight.
The Dragons switched to a 2-3 zone in the second quarter after trailing by two points in the first. The switch disrupted the Handley offense and allowed Monroe to build a nine-point lead before the break. Freshman Elisha Mawyer’s jumper at the buzzer pushed the lead to nine.
Roach finished with 10 points, including two 3-pointers, leading a group of seven players who scored in addition to Cave. Cally Troutman had eight points while Kesha Cochran scored seven and hauled down 11 rebounds.
Handley got a team-high 18 points from Kameron Scott while Judges point guard Erin Drumheller chipped in 14 points despite being mired in some foul trouble.
Monroe will hit the road to face Millbrook Thursday night.
