MONTICELLO - In a grind-it-out game Tuesday, the Brodhead boys basketball team tipped the scales against Monticello, 55-50.
6-foot, 9-inch junior J.J. Panoske had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots for Brodhead, which played quick defense and forced Monticello to shoot at will from beyond the arc.
"We came out and shot the ball very well to start," Monticello head coach Brad Pickett said.
"Then we went a little cold. Brodhead did a nice job defensively and got us out of our game. With Panoske standing in the middle of the lane, it forced us to shoot outside a little more than we would have wanted to."
The Ponies hit 10 3-pointers, and only nine shots from inside the arc.
Monticello hit its first three 3-pointers and took a 9-2 lead halfway through the first quarter. Then Brodhead turned its game on.
Senior Ryan Miller, who had 20 points, and Panoske brought the Cardinals back on top at 10-9.
Monticello senior Brandon Holz scored 11 of his 18 points in the first quarter, including a three-pointer at the buzzer from the left corner to give the Ponies a 14-13 lead.
"Brandon Holz is our primary go-to guy," Pickett said.
In the second quarter, it was the Cardinals who continued to roll. Miller and Panoske scored 12 of Brodhead's 14 points in the quarter as the Cardinals coasted to a 27-19 lead at the half.
"I told the guys in the locker room that Monticello is not going to lay down for us. We knew it was going to be a game," Brodhead head coach Brian Kammerer said.
"We have nothing but respect for (Monticello). They lost all those seniors and still have a good team. They should be pretty good in the Six Rivers this year."
In the second half, a dog-fight broke out. Sophomore Corey McGowan (19 points) and Holz hit shot after shot, 3-pointer after 3-pointer, and brought Monticello back into the game.
"I told the group that this is the most fight we've ever had as a team. They have that never-say-die attitude," Pickett said.
Monticello outscored Brodhead 17-11 in the third quarter and trailed 38-36 headed into the final frame.
Also in the second half, Brodhead junior Jacob Cole (12 points) took over the ball handling and scoring reins for the Cardinals, scoring nine points, including a big 3 in the third and a quick coast-to-coast steal to start the fourth.
Monticello brought the game back to as close as two points with 4:12 to play at 44-42. In consecutive possessions, Brodhead raised the lead back to seven points. However, poor free throw shooting down the stretch kept the game close.
"I'm proud of the way our kids bounced back after getting beat up by Belleville. We worked on our defense and ball handling and got better tonight," Kammerer said. "But now if you come to one of our practices, you will see some free throws being shot."
Brodhead made just 9 of 20 free throws - 7 of 14 in the fourth quarter. Monticello wasn't much better, finishing just 2-of-9 at the line.
In the end, Brodhead's rebounding and inside game were the difference. The Cardinals outscored the Ponies 40-18 from 2-point range.
Brodhead now gets into the bulk of Rock Valley South play.
"Our defense was better inside the arc tonight. Against Belleville that's where we got killed and tonight we worked hard on that," Kammerer said.
"Our sophomores grew up in a hurry tonight, but we still have a ways to improve. We just have to take whatever we can away from tonight and get back at it on Thursday (at Clinton)."
Monticello will see where improvements can be made in order to make a big impact in the Six Rivers East.
"We have a really tough conference we play in. We can't hang our heads over this loss. Playing a team like Brodhead will show us our weaknesses. We have to fix our turnovers in conference play and continue with that never-say-die attitude," Pickett said.
6-foot, 9-inch junior J.J. Panoske had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots for Brodhead, which played quick defense and forced Monticello to shoot at will from beyond the arc.
"We came out and shot the ball very well to start," Monticello head coach Brad Pickett said.
"Then we went a little cold. Brodhead did a nice job defensively and got us out of our game. With Panoske standing in the middle of the lane, it forced us to shoot outside a little more than we would have wanted to."
The Ponies hit 10 3-pointers, and only nine shots from inside the arc.
Monticello hit its first three 3-pointers and took a 9-2 lead halfway through the first quarter. Then Brodhead turned its game on.
Senior Ryan Miller, who had 20 points, and Panoske brought the Cardinals back on top at 10-9.
Monticello senior Brandon Holz scored 11 of his 18 points in the first quarter, including a three-pointer at the buzzer from the left corner to give the Ponies a 14-13 lead.
"Brandon Holz is our primary go-to guy," Pickett said.
In the second quarter, it was the Cardinals who continued to roll. Miller and Panoske scored 12 of Brodhead's 14 points in the quarter as the Cardinals coasted to a 27-19 lead at the half.
"I told the guys in the locker room that Monticello is not going to lay down for us. We knew it was going to be a game," Brodhead head coach Brian Kammerer said.
"We have nothing but respect for (Monticello). They lost all those seniors and still have a good team. They should be pretty good in the Six Rivers this year."
In the second half, a dog-fight broke out. Sophomore Corey McGowan (19 points) and Holz hit shot after shot, 3-pointer after 3-pointer, and brought Monticello back into the game.
"I told the group that this is the most fight we've ever had as a team. They have that never-say-die attitude," Pickett said.
Monticello outscored Brodhead 17-11 in the third quarter and trailed 38-36 headed into the final frame.
Also in the second half, Brodhead junior Jacob Cole (12 points) took over the ball handling and scoring reins for the Cardinals, scoring nine points, including a big 3 in the third and a quick coast-to-coast steal to start the fourth.
Monticello brought the game back to as close as two points with 4:12 to play at 44-42. In consecutive possessions, Brodhead raised the lead back to seven points. However, poor free throw shooting down the stretch kept the game close.
"I'm proud of the way our kids bounced back after getting beat up by Belleville. We worked on our defense and ball handling and got better tonight," Kammerer said. "But now if you come to one of our practices, you will see some free throws being shot."
Brodhead made just 9 of 20 free throws - 7 of 14 in the fourth quarter. Monticello wasn't much better, finishing just 2-of-9 at the line.
In the end, Brodhead's rebounding and inside game were the difference. The Cardinals outscored the Ponies 40-18 from 2-point range.
Brodhead now gets into the bulk of Rock Valley South play.
"Our defense was better inside the arc tonight. Against Belleville that's where we got killed and tonight we worked hard on that," Kammerer said.
"Our sophomores grew up in a hurry tonight, but we still have a ways to improve. We just have to take whatever we can away from tonight and get back at it on Thursday (at Clinton)."
Monticello will see where improvements can be made in order to make a big impact in the Six Rivers East.
"We have a really tough conference we play in. We can't hang our heads over this loss. Playing a team like Brodhead will show us our weaknesses. We have to fix our turnovers in conference play and continue with that never-say-die attitude," Pickett said.
