(December 6th, 2014) – EDGERTON: In a North Western Ohio Athletic League versus Green Meadows Conference match-up, the Locomotives made the trip to Edgerton to take on the Lady Bulldogs. In an offensive flurry, the girls of Montpelier took control of the game right away, never relinquishing their sizable lead.
When the dust finally settled, the Lady Locos stood victorious, 63-39.
The three-point line was very kind to the Locomotives in this game. They went 7 for 11 from beyond the arc, working the corners of a vulnerable Edgerton defense. Maddie Richmond was particularly efficient in enacting this strategy, hitting 4 of her 5 three-point attempts. She finished the day with 15 points.
Montpelier junior Hannah Blake also earned 15 points, as well as 6 assists and 4 steals in the contest. She, too, hit a three-pointer, but most of her scoring came from mid-range jump shots and driving toward the basket for layups. Though she was aggressive in attacking the rim, the Lady Bulldogs only sent Blake to the free throw line once. She made both attempts.
In general, Montpelier was effective with their extra point attempts. Making 16 of 24 shots, the team connected on 67% of their attempts.
They also scored on 45% of their field goals, hitting 20 out of 44 shots in the game. Of those makes, 7 of them came from the post. Baylee Hageman, a senior for the Lady Locomotives, shot 50% from the floor on her way to 10 points. Meanwhile, Audrey Pirtle made 60% of her shots, totaling 9 points.
Taking care of the basketball wasn’t an issue for Montpelier, either. They managed to keep their error into single digits with just 8 for the entire game. This allowed the Locos to maximize their possessions by not depriving themselves of scoring opportunities.
Montpelier couldn’t have played a better game than the one they played on Saturday. Most of their shots went down. They didn’t turn the ball over very much. Several players contributed to the scoring effort. There’s not much more Coach Nicely could have expected from his girls.
Richmond and Pirtle could be key elements to how Montpelier performs this year. The Locomotives are looking for consistent scorers outside of Blake and Hageman, and both Richmond and Pirtle have shown the ability to be just that early into the season. Now it’s just a question of whether or not they’ll be able to maintain this level of production throughout the year.