The Monticello Mustangs's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight defeat. They lost to Orange County at home by a decisive 62-48 margin. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Monticello of the 50-40 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture last Monday.
Monticello's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Valerie Swanson, who scored 14 points along with five steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Dylan Wood, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds.
Even though they lost, Monticello smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Orange County only pulled down seven offensive rebounds.
It was another big night for Laney Fayard, who scored 23 points along with six rebounds and four steals for Orange County. Fayard has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last seven times she's played. Another player making a difference was Chloe Hebert, who almost dropped a double-double on 14 points and nine rebounds.
Monticello has traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-10 record this season. As for Orange County, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 16-6.
Monticello will head out on the road to square off against Fluvanna County at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hopefully Monticello focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 25 on Tuesday. Orange County is on the road again on Friday and plays Western Albemarle at 6:00 p.m. on February 9th. Western Albemarle has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
