SOUTH WAYNE - If there were any worries about how the Black Hawk boys basketball team would rebound after their first Six Rivers East Conference loss, senior Seth Butler and company answered with a resounding performance knocking off Albany 66-60 Tuesday.
Black Hawk (8-2, 4-1 Six Rivers East) led by as many as 16 points in the second half and rolled to the win.
Seth Butler scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds and his younger brother Heath Butler had 18 points and six rebounds. Black Hawk senior Brett Lovelace added 15 points.
"It was a must-win game," Seth Butler said. "It put us back in it for a conference championship."
The Warriors handed the Comets (7-4) their first conference loss. The conference is jumbled at the top now with Black Hawk (4-1) enjoying a half game lead on Albany (3-1) and Pecatonica (3-1). The Warriors were coming off a loss to Monticello.
"One win is not a conference crown," Black Hawk coach Corey Manlick said. "They were on a mission. It's like I said, 'Are we contenders or pretenders.' Albany is a good team. They played tough."
The Warriors looked like contenders early on with an 8-2 spurt in the first quarter. The run was highlighted by 3-pointers from Heath Butler and Brady Meythaler and a jumper by Seth Butler. The Comets responded with Albany senior Isaiah Shell, who scored a game-high 28 points and had seven rebounds, knocking down two jumpers to give the Comets a 10-8 lead with 2 minutes, 2 seconds to go in the period.
"To beat the reigning conference champions you have to jump on them right away," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "We didn't do that against Beloit Turner and we certainly didn't do that tonight. Black Hawk was the aggressor. They looked like the conference champs."
Seth Butler and Heath Butler each hit jumpers to give the Warriors a 26-21 lead with 2:31 to go in the second quarter. Albany junior Mitchell Trow, who added 11 points and senior Devin Blumer who scored seven of his nine points in the first half, gave the Comets a lift to keep them within striking distance trailing just 30-25 at the half. The Warriors used a 1-3-1 halfcourt trapping defense in the first half.
"That is two good shooting games back-to-back," Doescher said of Trow. "I'm proud of the spark and points he has been giving us. Without Trow, we probably would have lost by 20 points."
The Warriors went on an 11-4 third quarter run to open up a 12 point lead. Lovelace banked in a jumper and Seth Butler hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Warriors a 41-29 lead with 2:35 left in the period.
"It was a lot of energy," Seth Butler said of the Warriors' run. "Effort is everything."
The Comets started the third quarter shooting 2-for-8 and the Warriors capitalized during their surge. Trow drilled two 3-pointers late in the period to cut the Warriors' lead to eight points. However, Heath Butler knocked down a 3-pointer before the buzzer at the end of the third quarter to push the lead back to 46-35.
Lovelace's traditional three-point play to start the fourth quarter gave the Warriors a 14 point lead. Heath Butler scored on a reverse layup with 6:10 left in the fourth to extend the Warriors' lead to 51-35.
"We told them that we have a size advantage and why not exploit it," Manlick said. "We finally got some movement and cutting on offense and we got some layups."
The Comets battled back with Shell scoring 17 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter.
"I'm proud of the way the kids fought back," Doescher said. "They always fight back. We were fighting back, but we never took control of the game. Now, we have to find a way to start better."
Manlick still sees areas where the Warriors can get better after fouling Trow on a 3-pointer with a 12-point lead and 1:16 to go. Trow made 2 of 3 free throws, but the Comets dug themselves too big of a hole and couldn't make the miracle last minute rally.
"That's just nuts," Manlick said of Shell's 17 point fourth quarter outburst. "We can't have that. He is a really good shooter. We can't give up 25 points in the fourth quarter. We can't foul a jump shooter."
Black Hawk (8-2, 4-1 Six Rivers East) led by as many as 16 points in the second half and rolled to the win.
Seth Butler scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds and his younger brother Heath Butler had 18 points and six rebounds. Black Hawk senior Brett Lovelace added 15 points.
"It was a must-win game," Seth Butler said. "It put us back in it for a conference championship."
The Warriors handed the Comets (7-4) their first conference loss. The conference is jumbled at the top now with Black Hawk (4-1) enjoying a half game lead on Albany (3-1) and Pecatonica (3-1). The Warriors were coming off a loss to Monticello.
"One win is not a conference crown," Black Hawk coach Corey Manlick said. "They were on a mission. It's like I said, 'Are we contenders or pretenders.' Albany is a good team. They played tough."
The Warriors looked like contenders early on with an 8-2 spurt in the first quarter. The run was highlighted by 3-pointers from Heath Butler and Brady Meythaler and a jumper by Seth Butler. The Comets responded with Albany senior Isaiah Shell, who scored a game-high 28 points and had seven rebounds, knocking down two jumpers to give the Comets a 10-8 lead with 2 minutes, 2 seconds to go in the period.
"To beat the reigning conference champions you have to jump on them right away," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "We didn't do that against Beloit Turner and we certainly didn't do that tonight. Black Hawk was the aggressor. They looked like the conference champs."
Seth Butler and Heath Butler each hit jumpers to give the Warriors a 26-21 lead with 2:31 to go in the second quarter. Albany junior Mitchell Trow, who added 11 points and senior Devin Blumer who scored seven of his nine points in the first half, gave the Comets a lift to keep them within striking distance trailing just 30-25 at the half. The Warriors used a 1-3-1 halfcourt trapping defense in the first half.
"That is two good shooting games back-to-back," Doescher said of Trow. "I'm proud of the spark and points he has been giving us. Without Trow, we probably would have lost by 20 points."
The Warriors went on an 11-4 third quarter run to open up a 12 point lead. Lovelace banked in a jumper and Seth Butler hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Warriors a 41-29 lead with 2:35 left in the period.
"It was a lot of energy," Seth Butler said of the Warriors' run. "Effort is everything."
The Comets started the third quarter shooting 2-for-8 and the Warriors capitalized during their surge. Trow drilled two 3-pointers late in the period to cut the Warriors' lead to eight points. However, Heath Butler knocked down a 3-pointer before the buzzer at the end of the third quarter to push the lead back to 46-35.
Lovelace's traditional three-point play to start the fourth quarter gave the Warriors a 14 point lead. Heath Butler scored on a reverse layup with 6:10 left in the fourth to extend the Warriors' lead to 51-35.
"We told them that we have a size advantage and why not exploit it," Manlick said. "We finally got some movement and cutting on offense and we got some layups."
The Comets battled back with Shell scoring 17 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter.
"I'm proud of the way the kids fought back," Doescher said. "They always fight back. We were fighting back, but we never took control of the game. Now, we have to find a way to start better."
Manlick still sees areas where the Warriors can get better after fouling Trow on a 3-pointer with a 12-point lead and 1:16 to go. Trow made 2 of 3 free throws, but the Comets dug themselves too big of a hole and couldn't make the miracle last minute rally.
"That's just nuts," Manlick said of Shell's 17 point fourth quarter outburst. "We can't have that. He is a really good shooter. We can't give up 25 points in the fourth quarter. We can't foul a jump shooter."
