The Piedmont Panthers came tearing into Friday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.5 points) and they left with even more momentum. They greeted the New Year with with a 47-29 victory over Monroe. Winning is a bit easier when you work as a team to rack up ten more assists than your opponent, as Piedmont did.
Piedmont got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ada Allen out in front who scored six points along with six rebounds and six steals. Those six steals set a new season-high mark for her. Emily Polk was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with ten rebounds.
Despite the loss, Monroe still got an impressive performance from Saniya Gingham, who scored eight points along with ten rebounds and five blocks. Those five blocks set a new season-high mark for her. The team also got some help courtesy of Sade Robinson, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds.
Piedmont pushed their record up to 8-4 with that win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.8 points per game. As for Monroe, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-7.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Piedmont will take on Forest Hills at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Forest Hills focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 14 on Tuesday. As for Monroe, they have the luxury of staying home another game and will welcome West Stanly at 6:00 p.m. on January 9th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in North Carolina (West Stanly is ranked 422nd, while Monroe is ranked 447th).
