Phillip Lamb isn’t known for emotional outbursts, it’s not really the William Monroe girls basketball coach’s style — on most occasions. But after the Dragons came out flat against Madison in the second half, Lamb let his talented bunch know during a timeout in the third quarter that that wasn’t acceptable.
“I was trying to get their attention,” Lamb said. “Madison brings out the best in me.”
Shortly after that timeout, Monroe shored up its defense and went on an 11-0 run that proved enough of a cushion for the Dragons as they held on to a 51-38 victory to move to 5-1 on the year.
The win came more as relief than anything for the Dragons who withstood a scrappy, spirited effort from the undersized Mountaineers. Monroe, who’s strength has been in transition so far in the young season, looked sluggish throughout and struggled to run against Madison’s quickness.
“It felt like we were stuck in mud,” Lamb said. “We didn’t rebound well and that kept us from getting in the transition game.”
Still, during the 11-0 spurt that stretched from the mid third to the early fourth, Monroe found itself, with Paige Breeden’s 3-pointer getting the run started. Alex Cave followed that with a steal, drawing a foul on the ensuing run out and knocking down both free throws. Tiffany Snead, who finished tied for the team-high with Allexa Smith with 11 points, then hit a bucket and two free throws before Brianna Allen connected on another bucket.
Katelyn Roach added a 3-pointer in the early stages of the fourth to keep Madison at bay. Roach finished with nine points on the night
The Dragons tailored their defense around Chandler Gentry, employing a box-and-one against the freshman who is emerging as one of Central Virginia’s best young players. Gentry still managed to pour in 19 points including a trio of 3-pointers. That forced Monroe to change things up defensively to try and slow down a Madison squad that managed a couple of strong runs despite not having a single senior on the roster.
“Every night we have different kids stepping up and shooting the ball,” said coach Katherine Johnson. “We’re going to get there, the future looks bright.”
Madison takes on Page County Friday night while Monroe tackles Luray tonight.
