Monticello girls basketball coach Josh McElheney didn’t even see the shot — he was already focused on what he thought was next.
“I almost called a timeout about three times but I feel like transition…that’s one of the things we’re good at,” McElheney said. “I thought Cierra (Hall) took a good shot and Emily got a good rebound. Then I’d already turned around and started drawing up something for overtime when I heard the screams.”
After McElheney turned his back, his standout forward Molly Shephard shook off a frustrating night, hauled in a rebound just before the buzzer and hoisted it back up for a game-winning lay-in. Monticello picked up a 45-43 victory over Western Albemarle and at least a share of the Jefferson District crown with a two-game lead with two games to play.
Monticello has had to scrap and claw twice now for victories of Western, including a second half rally for a win earlier in the season.
“I really do think these are the two best teams in the region right now,” McElheney said. “I expect we’ll see each other a couple more times down the road.”
This time, the Mustangs built a 25-19 halftime lead over the Warriors on the strength of Cierra Hall’s shooting. Hall hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter to ignite Monticello and Kiana Scott hit another as the Mustangs scored 17 in the frame.
“(Hall) absolutely kept us in the game,” McElheny said.
But after the break, Western got a big lift from Bridget Shaffrey, who had seven points in the third and then turned to Emily Marbury in the fourth to pull within a bucket. It helped Western’s cause that Monticello struggled to a 4-for-16 night at the free-throw line, allowing the steady Warriors to climb back into it.
“We made a run at them in the second half and it was back-and-forth,” said Western coach Kris Wright. “It comes down to one minute to go, tie ballgame? You can live with that, somebody’s just got to make a play, and Molly Shephard came up with the play when she needed it. She’s obviously someone who lives for this type of game.”
Shaffrey finished with 11 points, leading the way for Western along with Anna Sumpter, who also notched 11 on the night. Marbury finished with 10 of her own.
“We have to be a balanced offense, we don’t have that kids that are going to drop 35 on you very often,” Wright said. “We have to share the ball, we have to screen for each other and get good looks. Tonight I thought we did a pretty good job with that.”
Hall finished with 12 points — all on 3-pointers — while Shephard had 10 and Meghan Comer came up with nine.
Despite the loss, the Warriors sit firmly in second place in the district, but play third-place Powhatan next week. Monticello can clinch the title on the road against Charlottesville Tuesday.
