Martin breaks blocks record in OV win over Bulldogs

Amanda York, Evening World
·4 min read

The Owen Valley varsity Lady Patriots picked up their third win of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating Monrovia inside Patriot Hall, 57-29.

"Today was obviously a much-needed win for us after last night, playing against a really talented Indian Creek team," OV head coach Trace Temples said. "Our message today, coming out, was "compete." It's never going to be perfect and we're always talking about striving for perfection. We know we're never going to get to perfection, but if we can compete day in and day out and get better each day... today I felt like we took a huge step in that direction."

OV's Reagan Martin receives high fives from her coaches and teammates after breaking the single game block record against Monrovia Saturday afternoon.
OV's Reagan Martin receives high fives from her coaches and teammates after breaking the single game block record against Monrovia Saturday afternoon.

Junior forward Reagan Martin was instrumental in the OV win, swatting away shot after Bulldog shot and breaking the single-game blocks record in the process. The record of seven blocks in a game, held by Dazia Drake, fell as Martin blocked eight Monrovia shots.

Owen Valley found something they had lacked in games prior, a quick start. OV jumped out to a 14-4 lead after one quarter with balanced scoring from Kyndall Drake, Madi Kay, Elizabeth Johnson and Martin.

The Lady Patriot continued to pile it on in the second, outscoring Monrovia 13-4 for a 27-8 halftime lead. At the break, Kay and Martin led all scoring with eight points each, followed by Johnson with six, Drake three and Taylor York two.

The Bulldogs made some halftime adjustments and began to see shots fall in the third quarter, just barely outscoring OV, 16-15. The Patriot defense clamped down again in the final frame, holding Monrovia to just five points while putting up 15 of their own.

"Some of the girls who may have been struggling a bit shooting, finally saw them go in. That's a big thing for us," Temples continued. "Madi Kay leading the way with 17 points, Reagan with 15... obviously a big day for her, breaking the block record set by Dazia Drake for most blocks in a game with seven, she got eight today. Really, all around, Kyndall Drake shot the ball well. Taylor York came in, especially after having a rough night last night (getting injured at Indian Creek), came in and gave great energy off the bench. Liz Johnson... we just scored well from the top down. I'm really proud of how our team responded and how we competed. We've been talking about getting a fast start and finally, we were able to do that. We handled some different types of defenses. We handled their zone pretty well. Just proud of kids all around."

Lady Patriot junior Madi Kay connects for three of her team-high 17 points against Monrovia.
Lady Patriot junior Madi Kay connects for three of her team-high 17 points against Monrovia.

Kay led the scoring with 17 points, with Martin adding 15, Drake 11, Johnson six, York six and Lily Smith two.

OV suffered two losses earlier in the week, falling to Linton, 56-31, and to Indian Creek, 60-22.

Martin led the Lady Patriots against the Lady Miners with 16. Kay finished with five, points, York four, Drake three and Smith three.

"Coming into this one, we knew we were going to be for a tough fight with Linton. They've had some really good teams over the last couple of years and really returned a good, athletic group that we had to contend with tonight," Coach Temples said. "Early on, I felt like we did a fantastic job of adjusting to their zone. That presents a lot of problems, but we were able to execute our stuff offensively. Right before the second half, they were able to go on a run and create separation.

"The biggest thing for us so far this year is the start of a game and the start of the second half. And once again, the start of the second half, they were able to hurt us a little bit. They got out to a big jump, really with just our turnovers," Coach Temples continued. "We held them to four points in the third, but it was one of those things where we couldn't catch back up. They had a big quarter in the fourth. Chambers is a good player, 29 points, and she was a load tonight.

"We got good contributions from the top down from our group. Reagan, once again, leads us in scoring with 16 points. I think she had at least 10 rebounds and three blocks. Everyone else was so much more aggressive tonight. Those are the things we are going to continue to build on," Temples noted.

Against the Indian Creek Braves, Martin again led with 15 points with York adding four, Kay two and Johnson one.

Owen Valley will host the Brown County Eagles on Saturday and travel to South Putnam on Monday.

This article originally appeared on Evening World: Martin breaks blocks record in OV win over Bulldogs