(December 12th, 2014) – In North Western Ohio Athletic League action, Montpelier hosted Wauseon on Friday night.
The game started out as an intense competition between the two teams. A sizable underdog, the Lady Locos actually held a 23-21 lead at the half. Wauseon gradually pulled away in the third quarter, however, and continued to do so into the fourth. Montpelier was able to climb back to within 11 by the end of the game, as Wauseon took the game 58-47.
Natalie Koenig led all scorers with 30 points. The Wauseon star scored in various ways; knocking down w threes, making some layups in transition, and a strong mid-range game. Fellow senior Sariah Yackee offered 8 points to the victory. Maddie Richer scored 7, including the Lady Indians’ only other successful three-point field goal.
It was Baylee Hageman who produced the most points for Montpelier with 15, also pulling down 16 rebounds to earn a double-double. Hannah Blake scored 12 points, which included the only three-pointer made by the Locomotives. Audrey Pirtle, Landri McKelvey, and Haley Suffel each put up 6 points in the loss as well.
One of Montpelier’s biggest problems in this game was turnovers. The Locomotive girls committed 20 of them in the contest. Wauseon’s Koenig makes a living from transition layups, and turning the ball over is nearly tantamount to giving her 2 points. Valuing in the ball is an essential part of the formula to beating the Lady Indians.
The Locos had a solid night shooting from the floor, connecting on 44% of their shots. Of course, they did go just 1 for 8 from the three-point line. Their shooting from the free throw line could have been better as well, as the went 12 for 26, or 45%, from the charity stripe. Earning that many attempts is an excellent sign that Montpelier wasn’t afraid to take the ball to the hoop. Wauseon made 9 out of their 14 shots from the line.
With their tough play, the Locomotives showed that they could play at Wauseon’s level. However, their program just doesn’t have the consistency to do so regularly just yet.