ALBANY - For the second straight game Albany's girls basketball team got off to a slow start, only to come rampaging back. This time, the Comets held on to grab a 57-51 victory over Monticello Friday.
"Ultimately we have to learn to play consistent basketball and four quarters of basketball," said Albany coach Bryce Pickett, whose team had a rally come up short against Black Hawk on Tuesday. "They shouldn't have gotten up on a lead on us early and I don't think we should have let them back into it towards the end of the game.
"I still don't think we've played our best game and if there's a positive to take away from that we're doing a good job distributing the ball, taking the ball to the basket, penetrating and putting layups up. That's good to see."
Friday's game opened like a track meet with both teams staying toe-to-toe in the first six and a half minutes. Monticello trailed 10-8 but closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run and then scored the first two baskets of second quarter to grab a 19-10 advantage.
Albany's Sydney Bump cut to the basket on back-to-back possessions to bring Albany back to within five points, but Monticello continued to force the Comets into turnovers and bad shots.
"We knew we had to get our offense down and start running the ball more," said Bump, who scored a game-high 23 points. "We have a pretty quick team. After Black Hawk we knew we had to work on rebounding. We need to work on our quickness and our man-to-man defense."
With 5 minutes left in the second quarter, Pickett called a timeout after a turnover with his team trailing 21-14.
"The girls played very well," Monticello head coach Tom Eveland said. "Late in the second quarter, our shot selection wasn't very good at times and we started shooting shots we didn't need to take. The girls got a little winded there in the second quarter."
The Comets responded and closed the half on a 13-3 run, including scoring the last nine points.
"I was very happy with the way we turned it around at the end of the second quarter and came out hot in the third quarter," Pickett said.
Albany opened up the second half by scoring the first 11 points - a combined 20-0 run in a 6:01 time frame - and forced Eveland to call two timeouts.
"We had a mental breakdown and just lost it. I have no idea what happened," Eveland said. "That was the turning point. We dug ourselves into a whole."
The Ponies didn't get on the board until the second of two free throws by Becky Nelson with 4:19 left in the third, which made it 38-25.
"Then we cut it down at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth and knew we were back in the ball game," Eveland said. "We fought right to the very end."
Monticello closed to within five points late in the fourth, leading Picket to using a timeout to calm his players down with 1:46 left.
"They have to step up (late in games)," Pickett said of his seniors. "They have a lot of experience - they've been in the playoffs and in those situations and they need to know that it's time to come through in the clutch. They need to relax and put those shots in."
Hayli Peach had 10 points for Albany, Cassidy Bump added eight, Hillary Best and Courtney Pfeuti each had seven and Rosy Bauman scored the other hoop. As a team, the Comets were just 11 of 22 from the free throw line and didn't hit a 3-pointer in the game.
"When we talked at halftime we said that we really wanted to come out and make a statement. I think Sydney, being a senior, really took that to heart," Pickett said. "I felt both Sydney and Cassidy did a great job on that. They took it to heart and took over the game from there. And that's just good, strong leadership and knowing how to play the game of basketball."
For Monticello, C.J. Dilley scored 11 points, Nelson had 10, Marissa Berg nine, Taylor Klitzke eight, Desiree Marty seven and Taylor Pfeuti six. The Ponies had two 3s and were 9 of 14 at the charity stripe.
Monticello (1-3, 1-1 Six Rivers East) get right back into action Monday at Wisconsin Heights. Albany (3-1, 1-1) travels Tuesday to Orfordville Parkview.
Notes: Monticello won the junior varsity game 41-24 as coach Linn Lederman picked up a win over the team coached by his daughter, Jolynn Lederman.
"Ultimately we have to learn to play consistent basketball and four quarters of basketball," said Albany coach Bryce Pickett, whose team had a rally come up short against Black Hawk on Tuesday. "They shouldn't have gotten up on a lead on us early and I don't think we should have let them back into it towards the end of the game.
"I still don't think we've played our best game and if there's a positive to take away from that we're doing a good job distributing the ball, taking the ball to the basket, penetrating and putting layups up. That's good to see."
Friday's game opened like a track meet with both teams staying toe-to-toe in the first six and a half minutes. Monticello trailed 10-8 but closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run and then scored the first two baskets of second quarter to grab a 19-10 advantage.
Albany's Sydney Bump cut to the basket on back-to-back possessions to bring Albany back to within five points, but Monticello continued to force the Comets into turnovers and bad shots.
"We knew we had to get our offense down and start running the ball more," said Bump, who scored a game-high 23 points. "We have a pretty quick team. After Black Hawk we knew we had to work on rebounding. We need to work on our quickness and our man-to-man defense."
With 5 minutes left in the second quarter, Pickett called a timeout after a turnover with his team trailing 21-14.
"The girls played very well," Monticello head coach Tom Eveland said. "Late in the second quarter, our shot selection wasn't very good at times and we started shooting shots we didn't need to take. The girls got a little winded there in the second quarter."
The Comets responded and closed the half on a 13-3 run, including scoring the last nine points.
"I was very happy with the way we turned it around at the end of the second quarter and came out hot in the third quarter," Pickett said.
Albany opened up the second half by scoring the first 11 points - a combined 20-0 run in a 6:01 time frame - and forced Eveland to call two timeouts.
"We had a mental breakdown and just lost it. I have no idea what happened," Eveland said. "That was the turning point. We dug ourselves into a whole."
The Ponies didn't get on the board until the second of two free throws by Becky Nelson with 4:19 left in the third, which made it 38-25.
"Then we cut it down at the end of the third quarter and into the fourth and knew we were back in the ball game," Eveland said. "We fought right to the very end."
Monticello closed to within five points late in the fourth, leading Picket to using a timeout to calm his players down with 1:46 left.
"They have to step up (late in games)," Pickett said of his seniors. "They have a lot of experience - they've been in the playoffs and in those situations and they need to know that it's time to come through in the clutch. They need to relax and put those shots in."
Hayli Peach had 10 points for Albany, Cassidy Bump added eight, Hillary Best and Courtney Pfeuti each had seven and Rosy Bauman scored the other hoop. As a team, the Comets were just 11 of 22 from the free throw line and didn't hit a 3-pointer in the game.
"When we talked at halftime we said that we really wanted to come out and make a statement. I think Sydney, being a senior, really took that to heart," Pickett said. "I felt both Sydney and Cassidy did a great job on that. They took it to heart and took over the game from there. And that's just good, strong leadership and knowing how to play the game of basketball."
For Monticello, C.J. Dilley scored 11 points, Nelson had 10, Marissa Berg nine, Taylor Klitzke eight, Desiree Marty seven and Taylor Pfeuti six. The Ponies had two 3s and were 9 of 14 at the charity stripe.
Monticello (1-3, 1-1 Six Rivers East) get right back into action Monday at Wisconsin Heights. Albany (3-1, 1-1) travels Tuesday to Orfordville Parkview.
Notes: Monticello won the junior varsity game 41-24 as coach Linn Lederman picked up a win over the team coached by his daughter, Jolynn Lederman.
