It had the feel of a state final, not a battle for second place in the Jefferson District.
The crowd certainly had that feel.
The players played like it too.
Monticello’s boys basketball team found a way to hold off a fierce effort by Western Albemarle Friday night, winning 62-55 on the strength of a balanced offense and solid free-throw shooting down the stretch.
Denzel Terry, a defensive standout, found his offensive game against the Warriors, leading the Mustangs with 20 points, including nine critical ones in the second quarter. With running mates Jhalil Mosley and Sam Patterson tethered to the bench for most of that frame with a pair of fouls, Terry and several key reserves rose to the occasion.
“Denzel definitely stepped up, hit a couple of key shots and gave us the lead,” said Mosley, who finished with 13 points. “He was just playing his game tonight.”
That stretch where the Mustangs withstood a Western spurt was a critical part of Monticello’s victory.
“(The starters) trusted the guys that came in and spelled them that they didn’t come in and force things,” said Monticello coach Robert Shelton. “It’s just a testament to how this team gelled, learned to trust each other and became one.”
Western all but erased a six-point deficit during the second quarter, trailing by just one going into the break. By the end of the third, Monticello had inched the lead to five, but Western clawed their way to within just three with 2:15 left to play.
“I thought they played real hard and we played real hard,” said Western coach Darren Maynard. “I’m really proud of my kids for holding up as well we did. I think we’ve got some big things in front of us if we play like that all of the time.”
The Warriors couldn’t seem to hit open shots down the stretch and then a series of unforced turnovers allowed Monticello to extend its lead.
“I thought the game really came down to a couple of iffy passes we made right when we were in a good position,” Maynard said. “We got some really good looks down the stretch and we just didn’t make them. We had the right people shooting, they just didn’t go in.”
Chase Stokes led Western with 14 points and the sophomore battled consistently on the boards all night against Monticello’s Sam Patterson. Stokes keyed an impressive effort by the Warriors’ still young lineup in the hostile environs of Monticello’s gym.
Monticello’s student section was packed with around 200 students dressed in a dizzying array of Halloween-style costumes or body paint. And they were loud and rowdy just about the entire time.
“We’ve gotten great support from our fans all year long and our fans, they made it great out here,” Shelton said. “Even before the game, I think that sparked the guys and let them know how important this rivalry is.”
The Mustangs were 9-for-12 at the line during the fourth quarter, which prevented Western from cutting into the lead. Five different players buried free throws too during that stretch and the Mustangs finished 15-for-21 on free throws in the game.
Sam Patterson was a big part of that effort, going 6 for 8 at the line while scoring 14 points.
James Banks finished with eight points for Monticello and facilitated the offense well throughout the night. Banks has improved significantly along with the rest of the Monticello roster during a five-game win streak that has Monticello sitting at second place in the Jefferson District.
Parker Morris checked in with 13 points for the Warriors and Ben Turner finished with 12 points.
Monticello could still potentially tie for the JD title, but they’d need a struggling Louisa squad to knock off Fluvanna in the final regular season game in the Shoebox. Plus the Mustangs have to face off against Charlottesville Tuesday night and the Black Knights are suddenly red-hot.
Western takes on Powhatan on Tuesday at home in its final regular season contest.
