JV Panthers win three

     The toughest game of a three-game stretch for the Monticello junior varsity girls basketball game was a Dec. 3 game at Bellevue.

     The Panthers won that one, 39-34, on the way to a 3-0 week that gave them a 4-0 season record.

     “Bellevue gave us a tough game,” Monticello coach Chuck Welsch said. “They had 26 offensive rebounds, but our offense started working well in the second half.”

     The Panthers outscored Bellevue 25-21 in the second half to secure the win. Brea Stahlberg scored 13 points and had three rebounds. Reagan Schneiter had 12 points and seven rebounds. Jaelyn Aitchison had six points, six assists and five steals. Katie Roher contributed four points and two steals. Piper Hansen had two points and two assists, and Elise Kehoe had two points.

     Monticello won the other two games by larger margins. On Dec. 6 at North Cedar, the Panthers won 40-25. Aitchison had nine points and five assists. Schneiter had eight points, six rebounds and two steals. Emma Hynick had eight points. Roher had six points, four assists and three steals. Madison Butterworth had four points. Stahlberg had three points and six rebounds. Kehoe added two points.

     At Maquoketa Valley Dec. 7, the Panthers led 23-21 with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter, but finished the game on an 11-0 run to win 34-21. Aitchison had 13 points, including seven in the final five minutes, and four steals. Stahlberg had 12 points and four rebounds. Hansen hit a three-point basket and finished with three points. Scoring two points apiece were Butterworth, Hynick and Roher.

     “Maquoketa Valley was another tough game,” Welsch said. “They play a lot like us and try to make it an up-and-down game.”