Armstrong and Wells lead Spartans over Monticello
By Fred Kroner
Ella Armstrong and Taylor Wells each scored 13 points on Monday (March 8) as the St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball team upended Monticello, 65-41, in the Spartans’ home-finale.
Armstrong tallied six of her points in the opening quarter and Peyton Jones added five points in the first eight minutes, helping SJ-O to a 16-2 lead after one quarter.
Monticello didn’t make a basket until the second stanza.
SJ-O’s Payton Vallee totaled eight points while Atleigh Hamilton and Nora Walden each chipped in with six points.
Armstrong made two more free throws, extending her streak for consecutive makes to 31.
Monticello has a 4-8 season record.
On Tuesday (March 9), the Spartans battled at home against Class 4A Danville, but came up on the short end of a 59-53 score.
The teams were tied, 42-42, after three quarters.
Armstrong and Peyton Jones each scored 11 points to lead SJ-O. Payton Jacob finished with 10 points. Ashlynn Lannert contributed eight points.
Danville (9-2) pulled away in the final quarter when Erin Houpt – who recently scored her 2,000th career point – hit 10 of her game-high 30 points. Houpt was 8-for-8 from the free throw line down the stretch.
SJ-O is 8-5 overall and 7-1 in Illini Prairie Conference games entering its final game of the season, Thursday (March 11) at Bloomington Central Catholic.
