Monticello needed something to break its way in a close Jefferson District game.
Monday night against Goochland it finally happened when the Mustangs weren’t exactly playing their best, with a six-for-six performance at the line during overtime sparking Monticello to a 48-43 victory.
“We lost a two, a three, a five, a seven and an overtime game,” said Monticello coach Mike Mountjoy recounting the deficits in a string of close losses for the Mustangs. “To get one tonight is a blessing and a sign that we’re getting better as well.”
The Mustangs struggled to find a flow offensively all night, largely because Goochland played very well on defense, but Monticello remained, for the most part, out of sync. Except for Taylor Paige.
Paige came into the Monday night matchup averaging just under five points per game, but the senior exploded against Goochland for 20 points, including an eight-point third quarter that helped Monticello stay dead even with the Bulldogs. She also buried a critical free throw in overtime that made the game a two-possession contest.
“That offense came out of her defense and that’s the point I made in the locker room,” Mountjoy said. “Twenty points is nice and 20 points is what’s going to be on the bottom scroll at the Newsplex tonight, but what got us back in the game and got her the opportunity to score those points were the steals at halfcourt and the intensity she brought on that end of the floor.”
While Paige provided the bulk of the scoring, point guard Bridgett Holleran aided the effort with 14 points. Maggie Echols didn’t connect on a field goal all night, but the senior hit all four of her free throws, two with under a minute to play in regulation to put Monticello up by three. Her second set stretched the game out to a five-point lead in overtime.
Holleran hit the first two free throws in overtime to put the Mustangs up for good.
Goochland stayed in the game with a pair of incredible buzzer beating 3-pointers. One came at the end of the first half off the hand of Carrie Mills to put Goochland up by six at the break. The most spectacular, however, came from Chakiryn Jackson at the end of regulation with Goochland taking possession at the 7.2 second mark. Jackson buried the shot from the top of the key to knot the game at 42-42.
Goochland couldn’t maintain momentum in overtime though, and fell in what became the Bulldogs’ fourth straight district loss. Clearly, however, the Bulldogs have made massive strides since last year in what is still a young program with a lot of youth on the roster.
“We’ve improved leaps and bounds for last year,” said Sarah Voyack. “Tonight is a tough pill to swallow but they played hard. We just had lapses and that tends to happen—we’re a young team.”
Jackson finished with 12 points to lead a balanced offensive effort by Goochland as Mills score 11, Tammara Taylor scored 10 and Dana Rodriguez scored nine.
