By Nathan Mayberg
MONTICELLO — December 16, 2003 – The Monticello girls’ basketball team held off a tough second half charge from the visiting Fallsburg Lady Comets to record a 31-24 victory Friday night in a non-league game.
Liila Mack had a sensational game for the Lady Panthers. She had eight points, grabbed 20 rebounds and had seven steals in a game that was full of personal fouls and players dropping to the floor for loose balls. Two players fouled out for Fallsburg (1-3).
Monticello senior Ashley Bloom was the high scorer of the game with 10 points. She also had four rebounds, five steals and two assists.
Monticello (2-1) controlled the first half of the game and took a double-digit lead into halftime.
The Lady Comets rallied hard from the opening of the third quarter. They played a physical game that forced the Panthers to the free-throw line.
Monticello’s second half output was about half of its first half score. Fallsburg scored about three-fourths of their points in the third and fourth quarters.
Fallsburg was led by senior Felicia Strauss. According to Coach Les Hyde, Strauss recorded six points, six rebounds and five blocks. Senior Deidre Murray added seven points.
For the Lady Panthers, senior Christa Billias contributed nine rebounds and two steals.
Hyde called it a “good game.”
“We played hard, Monticello played a great game,” he said. “We were there at the end.”
“We need to do a little better on the boards,” added Hyde, who noted that Strauss is the Lady Comets’ best player.
Fallsburg was close, but Monticello kept its poise and turned away the Lady Comets in the final minutes of the game.