By Logan Riddick / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
Monticello senior Molly Shephard’s 18th birthday included a third-quarter serenade from the student section and a large batch of frosted cupcakes being passed around after the game. Best of all though, her on-court contribution of a team-high 19 points ensured Albemarle didn’t spoil the celebration, as the Mustangs triumphed 55-36 over their cross-county visitors.
Senior guard Meghan Comer sank a pair of jumpers early as Monticello tallied the game’s first 10 points while keeping Albemarle off the scoreboard for five-plus minutes. Junior guard Kiana Scott was a proficient distributor in the offensive half court, dishing out five first-quarter assists, several to Shephard, who scored four times sliding down the lane to the glass.
“They had to really start coming out and pressuring [Comer] on the wing, and that opened up the inside,” said Monticello coach Josh McElheny as the Mustangs led 18-2 after one quarter. “When [Scott’s] on her game, she can find the open person in a hurry. There are a lot of people on this team she can pass to.”
Comer drained her second three in the second quarter, while Shephard and senior center Regan Roberts added more inside buckets. Defensively, Monticello doubled senior KK Barbour, limiting her to two points and denying her any field goals in the first half.
“Molly did a great job and anytime [Barbour] got in the paint, we doubled down on her,” said McElheny. “Everybody helped out. I thought we guarded the best we’ve guarded all year.”
Trailing 28-7 at the break, Albemarle coach Rachel Proudfoot looked to correct a few glaring errors, and keep giving Barbour chances to spark the offense.
“We needed to get back on defense, so we sent two defenders back in safety, and we needed to stop switching on the screens which had opened up that screen and roll [for Shephard],” said Albemarle coach Rachel Proudfoot. “Offensively, KK just needed to settle down a little bit, start seeing the shot instead of trying to create it so much.”
To their credit, the Patriots battled evenly the rest of the way. Barbour came alive with 18 second-half points from all over the court. She grabbed five offensive rebounds and drained four of five free throw attempts in the half en route to a game-high 20 points. The next closest Patriot, Anne Ridenhour, finished with six.
For Monticello, Roberts joined Shephard in double figures with 11. Comer added nine. It was a crucial win for the Mustangs who were coming off their first loss in two years to a Jefferson District opponent earlier this week when they fell to Orange at home.
Both teams are scheduled to return to Jefferson District action at 7:30pm Tuesday. The Mustangs travel to Fluvanna, while Albemarle hosts Powhatan.
