RUMFORD – Freshman Brittany Scirica scored the eventual winning basket with two minutes to play and Courtney Barrett turned in a strong performance as Monmouth rallied for a 45-42 girls’ basketball victory over Mountain Valley.
It was an important contest for a pair of teams fighting for a postseason berth.
“This was huge for us,” Monmouth coach Rick Amero said. “We were 14th entering the game and 13 teams qualify in Class C. But Mountain Valley is in a similar situation in Class B.”
Mountain Valley led 37-28 entering the final frame, but the Mustangs quickly sent a message. Jen Lola (8 points) and Scirica (10 points) each drained 3-pointers and the Falcons scrambled to find their offense. Barrett (10 points, nine rebounds, four blocks) kept the younger Mustangs composed down the stretch.
“We pride ourselves on defense,” Amero said. “This team continues to improve in that aspect. We actually used four guards in the fourth quarter because Mountain Valley was quicker and getting in the low post. That lineup helped on the defensive side, but the offense scrambled to get in position.”
Mountain Valley received a blow when Kristin Arsenault left with a twisted ankle midway through the third quarter and was sidelined for several minutes. Arsenault, the leading scorer in the Mountain Valley Conference, had scored nine of her game-high 13 points in the third quarter.
The Falcons went on an early 10-3 run, but were plagued by poor shooting (28 percent) in the second half. At the foul line, Mountain Valley was a mere 4 of 14.
“We tried to maintain our lead in the fourth quarter,” Falcons assistant coach Rich Allen said. “Kristin did return with her ankle taped. We had tried to play up-tempo and avoid getting caught in a halfcourt offense. At the same time Monmouth was effective with its zone”
Tanya Nicols, Tanya Martin and Kim Clark chipped in with seven points apiece for Mountain Valley.
Monmouth made nine of 18 free throws and shot 47 percent from the floor. The Mustangs shot 60 percent (6 for 10) in the fourth quarter
“Mountain Valley played a strong game,” Amero said. “Courtney Barrett has been our glue on defense and although I thought that she struggled on offense tonight, she came up big on the defensive end.”
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