SOUTH WAYNE — The tough nonconference schedule is starting to pay off for Black Hawk, as the Warriors extend their winning streak to three after a 46-45 overtime victory against Monticello on Monday, Jan. 16.

Black Hawk — a Division 5 team — has played three Division 4 schools in Cambridge, Darlington and Mineral Point and one Division 3 team in Platteville.

“Playing the bigger schools is what’s helping us win these close games right now,” Black Hawk head coach Trent Wyssbrod said. “Those bigger schools have a lot more kids that are bigger and stronger. They pressured us. Now, when we are playing these smaller schools that aren’t as big and strong, it helps us.”

The Warriors took a 5-0 lead with an opening bucket from Carter Baumgartner, followed by a 3-pointer from Lucas Milz. 

Jackson Eyler provided Monticello with its first points, as he went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. The Ponies didn’t score for the next four and half minutes, though, as the Warriors extended their lead to 14-2. Seth Dunlavey scored an easy bucket, as Black Hawk broke Monticello’s press. He scored later in the run off an offensive rebound. Milz added four points, while Andrew Figi made a free throw.

“Early on we weren’t ready for it [Black Hawk’s physicality],” Monticello head coach Mark Olson said. “We snapped to and realized you have to bring the fight and be physical. We did. I was proud of the way we fought back and put ourselves in a good position.”

Ryer Indergand ended the drought for the Ponies, sparking a small run. Eyler scored again, and Peyton Smith made his first basket of the game.

Milz halted Monticello’s rally briefly with a three, but the Ponies pressed on. Smith grabbed and offense rebound and put it back in for two. Indergand then took a steal down the court for another two. After a free throw from Gabe Tree, Austin Skibbe scored to make it 18-14.

Monticello held for the last possession of the half, but Eyler’s three hit the back of the rim and bounced out. Black Hawk took a slim four-point lead into the locker room.

Out of the half, Indergand drained a three to make it a one-point game. On the opposite end, Figi scored after grabbing his own rebound. Smith countered, though, fighting through contact to grab his own rebounds before the third shot went in. 

The Monticello crowd erupted, including the Pony bench, which prompted Wyssbrod to call a timeout. The pause did little to slow the momentum, as Jovanny Erickson picked up his second foul. At the line, Nick Roe tied the game with a free throw.

The next five minutes saw the game tied three more times. 

With a free throw from Eyler, Monticello took its first lead of the game. Dunlavey’s own free throw tied the game again at 21, but Skibbe reclaimed the lead with an offensive put-back. Milz’s floater tied the game for the third time in the half.

Skibbe then picked up his fourth foul with nine minutes remaining. Not a minute later, Dunlavey also picked up his fourth foul. There was a discrepancy between the two scorekeepers, though, as the official book had Dunlavey with five fouls.

After discussion, officials determined Dunlavey had four fouls. Had they gone with the official book, Black Hawk would have been without its leading rebounder for the rest of the game.

“Seth is one of our team leaders. He’s the voice of our defense, and without him we really struggle,” Wyssbrod said. “That made a big difference that he only had four at the time and not five.”

At the line, Smith made one free throw, which was erased with a free throw from Figi. Baumgartner gave the Warriors the lead again, but Indergand took it right back with a basket beyond the arc.

The three sparked an 11-2 run to put Monticello up by seven — its largest lead of the game. Roe then took a steal and turned it into two points. With Figi’s fourth foul, Smith went to the line where he made both shots. Smith then scored on an inbounds play, fighting his way to the basket for two.

“Truthfully, if you play post, you have to be physical and take some contact,” Olson said. “Peyton is still learning, but he took a big step tonight.”

Eyler capped the run with a 2-for-2 trip to the free-throw line.

Dunlavey scored back-to-back points for the Warriors, including an offensive put-back. Followed by a pair of free throws from Milz and basket by Figi, Black Hawk tied the game at 36. Milz’s next bucket gave Black Hawk the lead with under a minute left.

With 30 seconds left, Lane Marty picked up his first foul, which sent Eyler to the line. There, he went 2-for-2 to tie the game.

Both teams called timeouts to set up last-possession plays. The Warriors had a chance to take the lead but were called for an over and back, giving Monticello 4.8 seconds with which to work. Smith got off a 3-point shot that hit the back board, rattled around the rim and bounced out, sending the game to overtime.

In the four extra minutes of play, the teams combined for 16 points, 10 of which came at the free-throw line. Monticello had eight opportunities and capitalized on four. Meanwhile, Black Hawk had 16 opportunities and cashed in on just six. Marty’s free throw with 13.2 seconds left in overtime proved to be the game-winner. 

Given his team’s performance at the line, Wyssbrod had flashbacks to Saturday’s game against Belmont. Similarly, the Warriors went 4-for-15 down the stretch but still won the game.

“Ten-for-20-something at the free-throw — you’re not going to win many games when you do that,” Wyssbrod said. “But we ended up finishing it off tonight.”

Milz led Black Hawk with 19 points, accounting for the team’s two 3-pointers. Dunlavey also scored in double figures with 11 points. Baumgartner chipped in eight points, while Figi tallied six. Tree was responsible for the final point with a free throw. At the line, the Warriors were just 10-for-26 for 38%.

Monticello had three players in double figures, led by Ryer Indergand with 12 points. Smith trailed with 11 points, followed by Eyler with 10. Nick Roe and Skibbe chipped in five points each, with the final two coming from Alex Roe. The Ponies shot 73% at the free-throw line, going 17-for-23.

Black Hawk improves to 3-2 in conference and 5-10 overall, while Monticello drops to 2-4 in conference and 3-11 overall.

Despite the loss, Olson knows his team is capable of success — he’s just waiting for all the pieces to come together in a game.

“Our record doesn’t reflect it, but we have a confidence in the stuff we are doing,” Olson said. “We see the progress we are making. We are just waiting for that moment where it translates to the court and you see the big successes come after all the little successes.”

MONTICELLO 55, ALBANY 43

MONTICELLO — The Ponies bounced back to pick up their second conference win on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Albany opened the game on a 5-0 run, but Monticello responded by scoring 13 unanswered points. The Comets got within four points in both the first and second halves, but the Ponies held on for the win.

Monticello had three players in double figures, led by Smith with 14 points and six rebounds. Indergand was close behind with 13 points and three rebounds, followed by Alex Roe with 11 points.

Ethan Koss led Albany with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Brayden Bakken tallied 12 points, all from beyond the arc, while James Schwartz totaled eight points. The Comets made 10 threes but were unable to get inside, making only six 2-pointers. 

BARNEVELD 60, BLACK HAWK 42

SOUTH WAYNE — The Warriors’ winning streak came to an end, as they fell to the conference-leading Eagles on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Black Hawk improved its free-throw shooting, going 8-for-8 with two free throws each from Brycen Wilson, Figi, Tree and Dunlavey. Figi and Dunlavey finished in double figures with 11 and 12 points, respectively. Baumgartner tallied six points, all from beyond the arc.

The Warriors were without leading scorer Milz, who will be out the rest of the season with a broken foot. He suffered the injury Monday during school and played on it during the overtime win against Monticello.