STEVEN BASSIN/STAFF

Allentown slows down Monroe for upset victory in girls’ basketball

Big victories against good teams continued to be the case for the Allentown High School girls’ basketball team on Feb. 15 against Monroe Township High School.

The Redbirds held Monroe to a season-low 38 points to pick up a 41-38 victory in Allentown. The victory lifted Allentown’s record to 14-5 on the season.

“We came in not backing down and did whatever it took to get the win,” said Allentown coach Danna Wells. “For us, our strong suit was playing in a 3-2 zone and just locating players and matching up with them when they got the ball. Our communication was key for us on the defensive end to get the win.”

Maddie McCrea helped Allentown come back from a 19-16 halftime deficit, scoring 13 of her game-high 17 points in the second half.

McCrea came up big for the Redbirds in the final minute of the contest, barreling down the lane to the hoop for a layup to give Allentown a 39-38 lead.

The junior went one-of-two from the strike with 28.5 second remaining to extend the Allentown lead to 40-38.

Senior Sophia Conti also went one-of-two from the free-throw line moments for Allentown to make it a three-point game with under 10 seconds to play. Conti finished with six points in the victory.

Allentown is on a five-game winning streak and is 7-1 in its last eight games.

Senior Brielle Fitzpatrick scored a team-high 13 points in the loss for Monroe, while classmate Madison Carey finished with 10 points in the contest.

Monroe is on a two-game losing streak and currently stands at 19-3 on the season.

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