Dec 21, 2016 2 min read

MONESSEN – Playing without one member of its dynamic duo – 1,000-point scorer Jaden Altomore – the Monessen High School boys basketball team still had enough offensive firepower to down Jeannette for the second time in six days, 69-63, Wednesday night.

“I wasn’t really happy with how we played, although we had one run when I felt we played well,” he said. “We committed too many fouls and put them at the line with the clock stopped and need to play smart.

“We have to learn to stop those fouls as down the road they could hurt us.”

Justice Rice, the second 1,000-point senior in Monessen’s lineup, led the Greyhounds with 23 points while Lyndon Henderson (18) and Cory Fleming (17) also hit double figures with Fleming’s total being a career high.

The game was chippy and aggressive throughout as the teams combined to commit 48 fouls and shoot 60 free throws.

“We kept our composure and for that I am kind of glad,” Salvino said. “We can play strong without using our mouths and I felt we did that.”

Monessen (3-2) opened the scoring when Fleming hit his first of three three-pointers, but Jeannette (1-5) rattled off six straight points.

Neither team led by more than three points in the first quarter and the contest was tied at 14-14 heading into the second quarter.

Jeannette led 25-23 halfway through the second quarter before Monessen went on a 14-3 run to close the half for a 35-28 lead.

During the Monessen run, Jeannette’s Anthony Johnson and Mike Pompei each picked up their third fouls within 24 seconds of one another and the Jayhawks had to go deep into their short bench.

Jeannette tried to chip away throughout the second half but it could not get closer than five points as Rice, the Greyhounds’ senior leader, kept things under control for Monessen.

Salvino talked about going deeper into his bench with Altomore out.

“I thought Vaughn Taylor did a good job on (Anthony Johnson) once we put him in,” Salvino said. “Elijahwa (Payne) came in and gave us some good minutes and Isaiah (Allums) gave us some time too.”

Johnson led Jeannette with 19 points but 13 of those came from the free-throw line.

Jeannette committed 12 turnovers and Monessen had 10.