By Nathan Mayberg
MONTICELLO — December 17, 2004 – Sullivan West defeated Monticello 53-30 in a girls’ basketball game Tuesday evening in the Monticello High School gymnasium.
The spirited Lady Bulldogs secured the win with a tenacious defense, excellent shooting, and top-notch team passing and rebounding.
They were led by the efforts of April Ackermann, who scored 12 points, was an important factor on the boards, and had a smooth shot. Kate Fanning displayed a solid shooting touch and contributed 14 points.
With her bull’s eye shooting ability, SW freshman forward Sarah Lander could be an all-star in future years. She finished the game with 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
The Lady Panthers had a series of strong runs, and played equally as well as the Lady Bulldogs in the second half. However, Monticello (1-2) was hampered by several large scoring spurts by SW (3-1) during the first half of play. Those runs gave SW a 31-13 lead at halftime.
The Lady Panthers were led in scoring by Victoria Carter and Ana Rivera, each of whom recorded eight points. Liila Mack was a strong force as well. At times, all three were aggressive in charging to the basket.
The Lady Bulldogs took advantage their full-court press in the first half, which led to many turnovers and scoring chances.
SW Coach Ron Bernhardt said part of his team’s success was the 37 games they have played together thus far. The team has been playing as one unit since last spring, when he began taking them to different tournaments.
He also believed the Lady Bulldogs picked up the victory due to “a couple of timely runs.” However, he complimented the Monties for not giving up.
“Monticello played us tough,” he said.
Bernhardt also believed his team could continue to improve. He said the team was “a work in progress.”
Monticello Coach Karen Atack, said the “intensity wasn’t there” for her team.
She, in turn, gave credit to SW for playing like a “championship-caliber team.”