JAY — Emily Keene’s minutes have been micromanaged so far this basketball season, the product of a nagging back injury.

She was able to give Spruce Mountain eight uninterrupted ones in the third period against Monmouth on Tuesday night, and it made all the difference in an MVC girls’ showdown.

Keene scored 11 points in the quarter, nine courtesy of 3-pointers, breaking a halftime tie and vaulting the Phoenix to a 51-35 victory over the pesky Mustangs.

“It opened up the court a little bit for us,” Keene said. “We started to move the ball a lot better.”

Spruce Mountain (8-0) trailed until late in the second quarter, when Keene’s two free throws tied the game at 15.

Kailee Newcomb of the Phoenix and Sidney Wilson of the Mustangs exchanged baskets to make it 17-all at the half before Keene went on a personal 8-2 run in the first two minutes out of intermission.

Keene concluded with 17 points for Spruce Mountain, which kept the No. 1 ranking in the Western Class B Heal Points with the win. Newcomb added nine.

Two baskets by Vanese Barnes, a Newcomb 3-pointer and an inside bucket by Emily Hogan complemented Keene’s outburst and furnished a 37-27 lead at the end of three.

“Emily Keene helped us open their zone up a little bit, knocking down some perimeter shots,” Spruce Mountain coach Gavin Kane said. “This is the most minutes she’s played in a ballgame this year, and she provides good leadership for us.”

Kylie Kemp chalked up 11 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and three assists for Monmouth (5-3). Paxton Lessard knocked down nine points, all on 3-pointers.

The Mustangs won at home against Mt. Abram on Saturday, but due to New Year’s Day and the persistently foul winter weather, they haven’t practiced in a week.

Coach Scott Wing’s strategy was to have Monmouth control the pace, and it worked for much of the night. But not only did Keene’s barrage give Spruce Mountain its first substantial lead, it also allowed the Phoenix to apply their pressure in the halfcourt.

Monmouth committed 18 of its 31 turnovers in the second half.

“We talked about the fact that, if we take a 10-second count or a five-second count or a jump ball, that’s all better than a bad pass and giving them a layup,” Wing said. “I felt for the most part we did pretty darn good with that. We didn’t throw too many weak passes. And I was very, very happy with the effort in the defensive end.”
Barnes, Nicole Hamblin and Alex Bessey each provided the Phoenix with six points. Hamblin dished out four assists. Bessey made four steals.

“The depth is the big thing. When they have so many athletes they can keep running out there, that’s going to wear you down eventually,” Wing said. “But I was very pleased.”

Monmouth used consecutive baskets by Kemp, Ashley Coulombe and Amanda Anair to build a 10-8 lead at the end of the first period.

Kemp’s putback to start the second gave the Mustangs their largest advantage, but quick buckets by Keene and Bessey and a Samantha Richards free throw put the Phoenix in front.

“A lot of credit goes to Monmouth for coming out tonight and playing really well and never giving up,” Keene said. “That was all them. They came out ready to go. They had nothing to lose.”

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