(January 15, 2015) – BRYAN: The Lady Locos scored a monumental victory last Thursday.
Not only did they claim their first victory in the North Western Ohio Athletic League (NWOAL) this season, but the Montpelier girls also took down their hated rival, Bryan, to do so. Improving steadily throughout the year, all of their hard work finally paid off in a big way in the road win. Most impressive, however, is that the game was never really in doubt.
The Locomotives demolished the Golden Bears 50-34.
From the contest’s early goings, Montpelier separated themselves from their hosts. The Locos celebrated a 17-8 lead as the first quarter came to a close. The second period saw Montpelier slow down a bit offensively, though their defensive intensity remained constant. Going into halftime, the Locomotive girls enjoyed a 22-17 advantage.
The visitors from Montpelier stormed the court in the third quarter, recapturing some of their scoring prowess in the period. Bryan had their best offensive quarter as well, though. Still, the Lady Locos tacked 3 more points to their cushion, giving themselves a 35-27 lead heading into the fourth and final quarter.
In that last stanza, the Locomotives from Montpelier doubled their lead. This was due to an exceptional effort on both ends of the floor. The Loco defense limited the hometown Bears to just 7 points, putting up 15 of their own during that same span. This strong finish gave the Montpelier girls a victory margin of 16 points.
Hannah Blake’s gutsy performance paved the way for the Lady Locos win. The junior standout made 9 successful field goals on her own, including 1 from three-point range, as she shredded the Bryan defense for 23 points.
Senior teammate Baylee Hageman added 9 points in the victory, making 4 field goals from inside the paint. Fellow senior Malorie Yagelski, normally a defensive specialist, racked up 8 points, thanks to 3 two-point field goals and a 2 for 2 effort from the free throw line. Audrey Pirtle scored 4 points off of 2 shots, while Haley Suffel knocked down a three for her only 3 points of the game. Maddie Richmond earned all of her 3 points from the charity stripe.
The victory puts Montpelier at 5-6 on the season, with a 1-3 record in NWOAL play.