By Allen J. Kha / ScrimmagePlay.com Contributor
STANARDSVILLE – In the end, the Jefferson District showdown between conference leaders Western Albemarle and second-ranked William Monroe came down to shooting. Senior forward Ellen Shaffrey and junior guard Mady Baker — who scored 20 points and 16 points respectively — hit numerous clutch shots through the closing moments of the game to lead the Warriors (11-3, 7-0 JD) to a 51-36 victory over the hosting Dragons (13-3, 6-2 JD).
“We were able to close [Western’s double-digit] leads throughout the game to as close as five points [at 29-24 Warriors with 2:14 remaining] in the third quarter, but right when we started to get into stride, Western hit key shots. They knew how to handle adversity,” Dragons coach Phil Lamb said.
“They’re experienced—they know how to play and you can’t afford to not make shots and not execute against a team like Western. Tonight we couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean. It was our worst shooting performance, a total off night. ”
After a tight first quarter that ended with Western leading 10-7, the Warriors and William Monroe traded baskets leading up to the final two minutes of the second quarter. With the score then 20-15 in Western’s favor, the visiting team went on a 7-0 run to close the half with a 27-15 lead. Perhaps more emphatic, Shaffrey closed off the run with a half-court shot at the buzzer, a sign that it really was her night.
“We really focused on pushing ourselves and pushing our teammates. We couldn’t let ourselves get down, and everyone on our team had great energy. We made things happen,” Shaffrey said.
After hitting two free throws — granted because of a technical foul committed by William Monroe’s bench at the end of the second quarter — the Warriors were held scoreless by the Dragons until the 2:14 mark in the third quarter. The home team, led by junior forward Alexa Smith’s six third-quarter points, had closed Western’s lead down to 29-24 before Shaffrey made a key three-point shot from the top of the key to expand the visiting team’s lead back to eight points.
From the 2:14-mark in the third quarter to the game’s conclusion, Shaffrey and Baker scored 19 of the Warriors’ 24 points — nine points from behind the arc — to deny William Monroe a comeback in front of a spirited crowd.
Shaffrey was the game’s leading scorer, and notched a double-double with 16 rebounds—she also had three blocks. Baker pulled down six boards herself while Kelsey Swanson dished out seven assists. Raven Ward was strong defensive with eight boards and three blocks. Smith and junior guard Alex Cave both scored ten points for the Dragons.
Western travels to Goochland tomorrow hoping to maintain its undefeated Jefferson District record—the Warriors have a two-game lead on the rest of the JD field now. William Monroe, on the other hand, hopes to rebound when the team plays at Monticello next Friday.
