SOUTH WAYNE - On the football field, senior Seth Butler enjoyed the ability to roam in coverage for interceptions. Butler used his anticipation instincts as a point guard on top of Black Hawk's 1-3-1 halfcourt trap to power the Warriors to a 57-48 overtime win over Monticello in a Six Rivers East Conference showdown on Thursday.
Butler scored a team-high 20 points and had four steals to lead the Warriors to the win. With the win, Black Hawk (15-5, 7-3 Six Rivers East) kept pace with Albany (13-6, 7-2) and the Warriors and Barneveld (13-5, 6-2) remain one-half game behind the Comets.
"I just watch their eyes," Butler said. "That is how I get all of those tips and steals. I just read my keys. We had to win this game to contend for a conference championship."
With the win, Black Hawk avenged a 16-point loss to the Ponies (11-8, 6-4) earlier this season. Black Hawk junior Shawn Woodruff helped set the tone in the extra session scoring a putback. Junior teammate Heath Butler scored down low with 2 minutes, 1 second left in the overtime to give the Warriors a 49-45 lead. The Warriors clinched the win by making 6 of 6 free throws in the final 43 seconds. The Warriors finished 16 of 18 at the free throw line.
"We emphasize free throws a lot in practice," Lovelace said. "When it comes down to free throws, the key is putting them in and I feel we did a good job tonight."
This win didn't come easy for the Warriors. Monticello junior Ben May, who scored a game-high 22 points, drilled a 3-pointer and scored on a layup with 45.6 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 45. The game-tying shot was set up by Monticello senior Forrest Havens' steal.
Seth Butler missed a jumper in the final seconds and Heath Butler grabbed an offensive rebound and missed a putback attempt before the buzzer.
Lovelace scored 13 points and Heath Butler added 11 points. Black Hawk senior Tyler Peterson chipped in nine points and had four steals.
"It was a must-win if we want to have any chance at a conference title," Black Hawk coach Corey Manlick said.
Manlick liked the balanced scoring the Warriors provided against the Ponies.
"We can't just rely on one or two guys," he said. "We need to be balanced. Those are the things I wanted to see."
The Warriors opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run sparked by two steals and layups to give the Warriors a 29-21 lead. Lovelace converted a conventional three-point play down low and Butler came up with a steal and layup to extend the Warriors' lead to 39-30 with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
"Seth on the top of the 1-3-1 was very active with his hands," Manlick said. "He came out fired up in the second half. He had the right mindset. That is what we need."
Lovelace said the 1-3-1 allowed the Warriors to score layups on the break.
The Ponies answered with senior Logan Crooks knocking down a 3-pointer and May hitting a jumper to slice the Warriors' lead to 39-35.
Crooks finished with 17 points and senior Lucas Marty chipped in seven points.
"My guys have a lot of heart," Monticello coach Mark Olson said. "I have a lot of confidence in my guys that they will keep battling and give themselves a chance to win it in the end. Black Hawk is a very good team. I have to give Black Hawk credit because they made their free throws."
The WIAA Division 5 regional seeding meeting is Saturday at Williams Bay. Catholic Central, ranked X in Division 5, will likely get the No. 1 seed. With the Six Rivers East Conference jumbled at the top, Black Hawk's win over Monticello will help, but it's tough to determine how Albany, Black Hawk and Monticello and Williams Bay will be seeded No. 2-5.
Manlick said Black Hawk deserves either a No. 2 or No. 3 seed. With the conference champion still undecided, Manlick doesn't see it being a big hindrance to teams from the conference come seeding time Saturday.
"I don't think it will hurt us," he said. "Hopefully, everything will fall into place for us and we will get a few home games."
With six of the eight teams in Albany's, Black Hawk's and Monticello's bracket owning winning records, Olson isn't too worried about the seeding.
"You are rewarded for your schedule," Olson said of the competition the Ponies have played. "Our conference has been tough. No matter who you play you have to lace up your shoes tight and go to battle.
Butler scored a team-high 20 points and had four steals to lead the Warriors to the win. With the win, Black Hawk (15-5, 7-3 Six Rivers East) kept pace with Albany (13-6, 7-2) and the Warriors and Barneveld (13-5, 6-2) remain one-half game behind the Comets.
"I just watch their eyes," Butler said. "That is how I get all of those tips and steals. I just read my keys. We had to win this game to contend for a conference championship."
With the win, Black Hawk avenged a 16-point loss to the Ponies (11-8, 6-4) earlier this season. Black Hawk junior Shawn Woodruff helped set the tone in the extra session scoring a putback. Junior teammate Heath Butler scored down low with 2 minutes, 1 second left in the overtime to give the Warriors a 49-45 lead. The Warriors clinched the win by making 6 of 6 free throws in the final 43 seconds. The Warriors finished 16 of 18 at the free throw line.
"We emphasize free throws a lot in practice," Lovelace said. "When it comes down to free throws, the key is putting them in and I feel we did a good job tonight."
This win didn't come easy for the Warriors. Monticello junior Ben May, who scored a game-high 22 points, drilled a 3-pointer and scored on a layup with 45.6 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 45. The game-tying shot was set up by Monticello senior Forrest Havens' steal.
Seth Butler missed a jumper in the final seconds and Heath Butler grabbed an offensive rebound and missed a putback attempt before the buzzer.
Lovelace scored 13 points and Heath Butler added 11 points. Black Hawk senior Tyler Peterson chipped in nine points and had four steals.
"It was a must-win if we want to have any chance at a conference title," Black Hawk coach Corey Manlick said.
Manlick liked the balanced scoring the Warriors provided against the Ponies.
"We can't just rely on one or two guys," he said. "We need to be balanced. Those are the things I wanted to see."
The Warriors opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run sparked by two steals and layups to give the Warriors a 29-21 lead. Lovelace converted a conventional three-point play down low and Butler came up with a steal and layup to extend the Warriors' lead to 39-30 with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
"Seth on the top of the 1-3-1 was very active with his hands," Manlick said. "He came out fired up in the second half. He had the right mindset. That is what we need."
Lovelace said the 1-3-1 allowed the Warriors to score layups on the break.
The Ponies answered with senior Logan Crooks knocking down a 3-pointer and May hitting a jumper to slice the Warriors' lead to 39-35.
Crooks finished with 17 points and senior Lucas Marty chipped in seven points.
"My guys have a lot of heart," Monticello coach Mark Olson said. "I have a lot of confidence in my guys that they will keep battling and give themselves a chance to win it in the end. Black Hawk is a very good team. I have to give Black Hawk credit because they made their free throws."
The WIAA Division 5 regional seeding meeting is Saturday at Williams Bay. Catholic Central, ranked X in Division 5, will likely get the No. 1 seed. With the Six Rivers East Conference jumbled at the top, Black Hawk's win over Monticello will help, but it's tough to determine how Albany, Black Hawk and Monticello and Williams Bay will be seeded No. 2-5.
Manlick said Black Hawk deserves either a No. 2 or No. 3 seed. With the conference champion still undecided, Manlick doesn't see it being a big hindrance to teams from the conference come seeding time Saturday.
"I don't think it will hurt us," he said. "Hopefully, everything will fall into place for us and we will get a few home games."
With six of the eight teams in Albany's, Black Hawk's and Monticello's bracket owning winning records, Olson isn't too worried about the seeding.
"You are rewarded for your schedule," Olson said of the competition the Ponies have played. "Our conference has been tough. No matter who you play you have to lace up your shoes tight and go to battle.
