ALBANY - On a night that could very well determine regional playoff seeds, Pecatonica got a leg-up on Albany.
"Because of this season, we haven't won a lot of games. Instead we tend to find ways to lose them," Comets coach Derik Doescher said. "Pecatonica, to their credit, took advantage of it and played hard. They stayed with it, even when they went down nine."
The Comets (4-16, 2-8 Six Rivers East) let a 4-point lead - with under 2 1/2 minutes to play - go by the wayside, falling 53-48.
"An intentional foul, possessions, turnovers, a lane violation - those are things that come back to haunt you," Doescher said. "We were 3-for-9 at the free throw line, but played a solid three quarters. We found ways in the fourth quarter to not do what we do well."
Pecatonica (4-15, 3-7) closed the game on an 11-2 run, much of which thanks to senior Tannar Johnson, who hit seven free throws in the final 2:18.
"I shoot a lot of free throws in practice. I haven't hit a free throw in a game since Christmas," Johnson said. "It's a perfect time to step up and hit some free throws for once. I wanted the ball in my hands there - being in a rough season, I wanted to step up and make a difference."
On Johnson's first set of bonus free throws with 2:18 remaining, the first free throw clanked out. But Albany senior Josh Krueger, who had an ill-advised intentional foul a minute earlier, had a lane violation. Johnson then hit the re-do, and a second free throw to make it 46-44.
"When you're shooting free throws, once you knock down a couple you get a little confident," Johnson said.
With 1:27 left, Tanner Kleppe connected on a 3-pointer to give Pecatonica it's first lead (47-46) since the second quarter.
"That was a great shot," Pecatonica coach Kevin Parman said. "We have to be able to work around the zone, and we need our guys to find the open man and they did. Kleppe hit it. When it works like that, it's just like how you drew it up, right?"
Parman added that Johnson's free throws were a key late in the game.
"Tannar is a great work-horse and I'm on him constantly. For him that was a great moment. He made the big free throws," Parman said.
Their were four ties and six lead changes in the first half - the last of which came on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Ty Mauerman to send Albany into the locker room with a 20-18 lead.
From there, the Comets kept Pecatonica at bay - including going up by nine in the third quarter - until the late Vikings rally.
"We played better as a team tonight and knocked down our free throws," Parman said. "This is a good time of the year to start playing your best basketball."
The Vikings finished in double figures - Karson Feller (15) Tannar Johnson (13) and Wyatt Massey (10).
Josh Peters led Albany with 14 and Boomer Detra and Isaiah Shell added 9 apiece on senior night.
"(Peters) was in a lot of foul trouble, and Detra too, but Josh (Peters) has done an outstanding job. He didn't play last year, so taking a year off of basketball and giving up 5 or 6 inches and a lot of weight in the post, he's done well," Doescher said. "He's quick, he's got some moves and does a nice job taking people off the dribble. He's been a big asset to us."
Pecatonica likely has the inside edge on Albany in the postseason. The Comets could likely end up with either the six or seven seed in the opening round and travel to Monticello (14-5, 9-1) or Juda (13-7, 7-3). Pecatonica, meanwhile, has a decent chance at hosting a first-round game.
"We're looking at a tough seed," Doescher said. "In the next week and a half we definitely have to clean some stuff up before the tournament."
"Because of this season, we haven't won a lot of games. Instead we tend to find ways to lose them," Comets coach Derik Doescher said. "Pecatonica, to their credit, took advantage of it and played hard. They stayed with it, even when they went down nine."
The Comets (4-16, 2-8 Six Rivers East) let a 4-point lead - with under 2 1/2 minutes to play - go by the wayside, falling 53-48.
"An intentional foul, possessions, turnovers, a lane violation - those are things that come back to haunt you," Doescher said. "We were 3-for-9 at the free throw line, but played a solid three quarters. We found ways in the fourth quarter to not do what we do well."
Pecatonica (4-15, 3-7) closed the game on an 11-2 run, much of which thanks to senior Tannar Johnson, who hit seven free throws in the final 2:18.
"I shoot a lot of free throws in practice. I haven't hit a free throw in a game since Christmas," Johnson said. "It's a perfect time to step up and hit some free throws for once. I wanted the ball in my hands there - being in a rough season, I wanted to step up and make a difference."
On Johnson's first set of bonus free throws with 2:18 remaining, the first free throw clanked out. But Albany senior Josh Krueger, who had an ill-advised intentional foul a minute earlier, had a lane violation. Johnson then hit the re-do, and a second free throw to make it 46-44.
"When you're shooting free throws, once you knock down a couple you get a little confident," Johnson said.
With 1:27 left, Tanner Kleppe connected on a 3-pointer to give Pecatonica it's first lead (47-46) since the second quarter.
"That was a great shot," Pecatonica coach Kevin Parman said. "We have to be able to work around the zone, and we need our guys to find the open man and they did. Kleppe hit it. When it works like that, it's just like how you drew it up, right?"
Parman added that Johnson's free throws were a key late in the game.
"Tannar is a great work-horse and I'm on him constantly. For him that was a great moment. He made the big free throws," Parman said.
Their were four ties and six lead changes in the first half - the last of which came on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Ty Mauerman to send Albany into the locker room with a 20-18 lead.
From there, the Comets kept Pecatonica at bay - including going up by nine in the third quarter - until the late Vikings rally.
"We played better as a team tonight and knocked down our free throws," Parman said. "This is a good time of the year to start playing your best basketball."
The Vikings finished in double figures - Karson Feller (15) Tannar Johnson (13) and Wyatt Massey (10).
Josh Peters led Albany with 14 and Boomer Detra and Isaiah Shell added 9 apiece on senior night.
"(Peters) was in a lot of foul trouble, and Detra too, but Josh (Peters) has done an outstanding job. He didn't play last year, so taking a year off of basketball and giving up 5 or 6 inches and a lot of weight in the post, he's done well," Doescher said. "He's quick, he's got some moves and does a nice job taking people off the dribble. He's been a big asset to us."
Pecatonica likely has the inside edge on Albany in the postseason. The Comets could likely end up with either the six or seven seed in the opening round and travel to Monticello (14-5, 9-1) or Juda (13-7, 7-3). Pecatonica, meanwhile, has a decent chance at hosting a first-round game.
"We're looking at a tough seed," Doescher said. "In the next week and a half we definitely have to clean some stuff up before the tournament."
