Saniya Gingham leads a balanced attack to beat Piedmont

By Team Reports Feb 1, 2024, 4:54am

Recap: Monroe Redhawks vs. Piedmont Panthers

On Tuesday, the Monroe Redhawks's game was all tied up 17-17 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They managed a 36-32 win over Piedmont. For Monroe, this counts as revenge for the 47-29 defeat the Panthers walked away with the last time they faced one another back in January.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Monroe to victory, but perhaps none more so than Saniya Gingham, who scored seven points along with six rebounds and six blocks. Gingham has been hot recently, having posted three or more blocks the last eight times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jahdallia Montgomery, who scored two points along with 15 rebounds and six steals.

Piedmont's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Emily Polk, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds. Polk has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last 17 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Ada Allen, who scored four points along with seven rebounds and two steals.

Monroe's win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-11. As for Piedmont, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 11-7.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Monroe won't have much time to rest: their next game is against the Warriors at 6:30 p.m. on January 31st. Weddington presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Redhawks in North Carolina (the Warriors are ranked 140th, while the Redhawks are ranked 522nd). As for Piedmont, they will head out on the road to face off against the Yellow Jackets at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Forest Hills focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 19 last Friday.