Fluvanna County girls basketball got several attempts to tie the game or take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
Each time, the Monticello defense held.
With the game on the line, Marisa Dyer came up with a steal and was fouled with just one second remaining and Monticello held on to defeat Fluvanna County 51-49 at Monticello High School on Tuesday night.
The game was close from wire-to-wire, with neither team holding a lead of more than seven points. Dyer scored seven of her 12 points in the first quarter, after which Monticello held a narrow 14-11 advantage.
Both teams ran a 2-3 zone in the first half, content with allowing some perimeter shots. Fluvanna’s Abby Seal got hot from long range, hitting three three-pointers in the first half. Fluvanna outscored Monticello 14-8 in the second quarter, and took a 25-22 lead into halftime
In the second half, Monticello’s freshmen guard duo of Samantha Shifflett and Dylan Wood started to heat up. Shifflett finished with 14 points and Dylan Wood had 12 points, eight of which came in the second half.
“It’s great to have so many young players that are key members of this team,” said Monticello coach Juwuhn Smith.
The Mustangs went on a 7-0 run and ended the third quarter on a 9-2 run, regaining a 38-36 lead.
In an attempt to better contest Fluvanna’s perimeter shooting, Monticello switched to a man-to-man approach in the second half. Fluvanna’s Alana Carter-Johnston thrived on the one-on-one matchups and scored 15 of her game-high 23 points in the second half.
“She was patient in the first half,” said Fluvanna County coach Nick Ward. “It’s tough for people to guard her.”
Despite the scoring outburst from Carter-Johnston, a pair of jumpers by Dylan Wood extended the Monticello lead to 47-40, the largest of the game. With just a few minutes remaining, Fluvanna County went to a full-court press.
“It just felt like we needed to speed the game up and try to turn them over a few times,” Ward said.
The press was effective. Fluvanna forced a few Monticello turnovers late in the fourth and converted them into layups or trips to the free throw line.
Carter-Johnston made one of two free throws to make it 51-49 with just 24 seconds left. Another Mustang turnover gave the ball back to Fluvanna with a chance to tie or win. Fluvanna missed a shot and then got an offensive rebound and called a timeout with 8.6 seconds remaining. On the ensuing play, Monticello’s Dyer stole the ball and was fouled with just one second left on the clock to seal the game.
“They really showed up when we needed it,” Smith said. “They had some mental lapses but they were able to pull through and fight it out literally to the last second”
After defending that string of possessions in the close finish to hold onto the win, Dyer was relieved.
“It was a little hard, but it was nice to get the steal and win the game,” Dyer said.
Up next, Fluvanna County hosts Albemarle on Wednesday, while Monticello travels to play Louisa County the same night
