Before getting moved from Friday to Saturday because of weather, the first meeting of the season between William Monroe and Charlottesville had the billing of a prime time Jefferson District game. But with the Greene Dragons playing shorthanded, its was all Black Knights, from the opening tipoff until the final buzzer as Mitch Minor’s undefeated team stayed that way on the road with a 59-27 win.
“Obviously they didn’t have all their weapons out there tonight, that’s a better team than we played, but we still had to come out and play,” said Minor. “It’s a Jefferson District win and I’m glad about that. I really thought we played well as a team though, and really got more intense in the third quarter, especially on defense.”
Charlottesville opened up the game on an 8-0 run thanks to Rickquan Jones and Devin Turner who both started out with hot shooting hands. With the Greene Dragons stuggling from the field, the Black Knights led by as much as 13 late in the first quarter.
But both teams cooled to close the first frame and that carried over into the second as they traded baskets and Charlottesville went into the break with it’s 13-point lead still intact.
“Regardless of who we’re playing, the focus is to be intense on defense,” said Jones. “I think in the third quarter we really found that, and that’s a quarter that we always stress about being important.”
After the break, the Black Knights bench went to work and their uptempo play led by sophomore guards Juwaun Taylor and Aarick Greene blew the game even further wide open as the visiting team outscored it’s host, 17-2 in the third quarter.
“It’s really sad that we didn’t come to this game ready and wanting to play,” said Monroe coach Mike Maynard. “I’m very disappointed in a few players, but you live and learn. Hopefully we’ve learned from this and we can move on.”
Little changed in the fourth and Charlottesville was able to leave Stanardsville and prepare for another big battle ungainst unbeaten Fluvanna County feeling confident.
For Charlottesville, Jones led all players with 11 points. Turner finished with 10 points and had a game high six rebounds. Taylor put up nine points while Greene contributed seven. Both Daquan Jones and Taquan Wicks had six points.
Jordan Gentry and Stacy White put up five points for Monroe. No Dragon hit more than two field goals.
The Black Knights, (4-0, 3-0) travel to Fluvanna County on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
The Dragons, (5-3, 1-2) head to Orange County also on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
