ALBANY - Monticello boys basketball coach Brad Pickett knows that shooting free throws in a free throw-a-thon and during a game are two different stories.
Despite shooting 12-of-31 from the free throw line, Monticello pulled away from Albany in the second half and cruised to a 57-39 win Thursday night.
"We had a couple of kids make 90 or more," Pickett said of the 100 free throws his players shot during a recent fund-raiser. "Obviously, we will have to get better from the free throw line if we want to continue to stay in ballgames."
Monticello (2-1, 2-0 Six Rivers East) won its second straight conference game by hitting 5 of 10 free throws in the final 3 minutes, 47 seconds.
"In this conference, it's tough to win on the road," Pickett said. "In this conference, to go on the road and come out with a win, you have to feel fortunate."
The Comets (1-2, 1-1) came out in the second half and used a 2-3 zone to slow the Ponies, holding them without a field goal for almost six minutes in the third quarter.
"It's no secret we want to get out and run with the ball," Pickett said. "Any time a team plays a zone, it will slow us down. We just have to relax, be patient, take care of the basketball and things will take care of themselves."
In about a minute stretch at the end of the third quarter, the Ponies caught fire. Monticello senior Allen Geirhart put back a Brandon Holz miss. Holz, who scored a game-high 20 points, and senior Casey Klossner both made baskets down low to push a 1-point advantage to 35-28 - a lead the Ponies never relinquished.
Albany senior Adam Zurfluh hit a 3-pointer with 4:18 left to cut Monticello's lead to 46-39. The Ponies answered with an 11-0 run featuring three straight steals.
"We knew they would have the intensity coming off a big win at Pec," Holz said. "We had to match that and we did in the fourth quarter."
Holz was surprised by the Ponies' struggles from the charity stripe.
"We weren't too good from the free throw line," he said. "We know we can do a lot better. I know we will be practicing them next week."
It didn't take the Comets long to cut into a 27-24 halftime deficit. Albany senior T.J. Zweifel's steal and long outlet pass to Brandon Pfeuti led to an easy layup on the breakaway and sparked the Comets to a 29-28 lead.
Early on, the game had the makings of a shootout that would come down to the wire. Monticello sophomore Corey McGowan hit a shot off the tipoff. Monticello junior Tyler Meier, who scored seven of his 10 points in the frame, led the early spark.
The Ponies went on a 10-2 second quarter run and erased what was a first quarter deficit. After a Comets' turnover, Holz assisted Klossner down low to take a 19-17 lead. The Ponies' lead stretched to 22-17 on a jumper by Holz. Meier drilled a 3-pointer and Holz hit a jumper that gave Monticello a 27-19 lead.
Albany wiped out an 8-point deficit with five straight points - including senior Jake Lincicum's 3-pointer from the top of the key - to help cut the Monticello halftime lead to 27-24.
"I felt like we were just out-hustled," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "We looked like the inexperienced team. They looked like we should have. We have not had anyone step up and make shots. That's been our Achilles' heel the first three games."
The Comets were led by Zweifel's team-high 11 points. Zurfluh added 7.
"No pouting, no whining," Doescher said. "They (Monticello) did the things good teams are supposed to do. The bottom line is they outhustled us. They were better coached and played better."
Despite shooting 12-of-31 from the free throw line, Monticello pulled away from Albany in the second half and cruised to a 57-39 win Thursday night.
"We had a couple of kids make 90 or more," Pickett said of the 100 free throws his players shot during a recent fund-raiser. "Obviously, we will have to get better from the free throw line if we want to continue to stay in ballgames."
Monticello (2-1, 2-0 Six Rivers East) won its second straight conference game by hitting 5 of 10 free throws in the final 3 minutes, 47 seconds.
"In this conference, it's tough to win on the road," Pickett said. "In this conference, to go on the road and come out with a win, you have to feel fortunate."
The Comets (1-2, 1-1) came out in the second half and used a 2-3 zone to slow the Ponies, holding them without a field goal for almost six minutes in the third quarter.
"It's no secret we want to get out and run with the ball," Pickett said. "Any time a team plays a zone, it will slow us down. We just have to relax, be patient, take care of the basketball and things will take care of themselves."
In about a minute stretch at the end of the third quarter, the Ponies caught fire. Monticello senior Allen Geirhart put back a Brandon Holz miss. Holz, who scored a game-high 20 points, and senior Casey Klossner both made baskets down low to push a 1-point advantage to 35-28 - a lead the Ponies never relinquished.
Albany senior Adam Zurfluh hit a 3-pointer with 4:18 left to cut Monticello's lead to 46-39. The Ponies answered with an 11-0 run featuring three straight steals.
"We knew they would have the intensity coming off a big win at Pec," Holz said. "We had to match that and we did in the fourth quarter."
Holz was surprised by the Ponies' struggles from the charity stripe.
"We weren't too good from the free throw line," he said. "We know we can do a lot better. I know we will be practicing them next week."
It didn't take the Comets long to cut into a 27-24 halftime deficit. Albany senior T.J. Zweifel's steal and long outlet pass to Brandon Pfeuti led to an easy layup on the breakaway and sparked the Comets to a 29-28 lead.
Early on, the game had the makings of a shootout that would come down to the wire. Monticello sophomore Corey McGowan hit a shot off the tipoff. Monticello junior Tyler Meier, who scored seven of his 10 points in the frame, led the early spark.
The Ponies went on a 10-2 second quarter run and erased what was a first quarter deficit. After a Comets' turnover, Holz assisted Klossner down low to take a 19-17 lead. The Ponies' lead stretched to 22-17 on a jumper by Holz. Meier drilled a 3-pointer and Holz hit a jumper that gave Monticello a 27-19 lead.
Albany wiped out an 8-point deficit with five straight points - including senior Jake Lincicum's 3-pointer from the top of the key - to help cut the Monticello halftime lead to 27-24.
"I felt like we were just out-hustled," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "We looked like the inexperienced team. They looked like we should have. We have not had anyone step up and make shots. That's been our Achilles' heel the first three games."
The Comets were led by Zweifel's team-high 11 points. Zurfluh added 7.
"No pouting, no whining," Doescher said. "They (Monticello) did the things good teams are supposed to do. The bottom line is they outhustled us. They were better coached and played better."
