MONTICELLO — Entering Friday’s nonconference matchup, both Monticello and Williams Bay came off wins the night before. The outcome of this game would be dependent upon who could find that extra gear, and the Ponies did so with an 18-8 run in the second half to win 49-44.
“There was a moment in the second half where I felt like we were tired,” Monticello head coach Mark Olson said. “We gave everybody a quick run through of getting a quick blow on the bench to get them fresh. Coming out of that, we picked up the tempo. Once we got a couple going, a few more came after it. It was the run we needed to get us back in a good position.”
The night before, Williams Bay (3-13, 2-5 Trailways South) defeated Juda (0-15, 0-7 Six Rivers East) 52-41, while Monticello (7-8, 5-3) won a close 53-48 contest against Black Hawk (1-15, 1-7).
“It’s about digging down deep and playing with your heart and pride to come out with the win,” Monticello senior Ryer Indergand said. He finished with 25 points.
The first seven minutes of the contest were all about duos. Williams Bay’s Parker Wojcik scored back-to-back baskets for the Bulldogs. Teammate Diego Valadez tallied two of his own. For Monticello, Indergand and Peyton Smith fed off each other.
Smith knotted the game at two, and Indergand gave the Ponies a 5-2 lead with a three at the top of the key. On Monticello’s next two successful possessions, Indergand fed Smith in the post. Indergand’s second 3-pointer of the game gave the Ponies a 12-10 lead.
“Growing up, we were always playing together and running a pick-and-roll our freshman year,” Indergand said. “Practicing together for the last two years has really helped a lot.”
More Pony players got involved on the offensive end, as Monticello extended its lead to 17-10. A miscommunication on the Bulldog defense led to Mason McCutchin being left wide open for two on the block. Alex Roe went 1-for-2 at the line following a steal and fastbreak attempt. Carson Gafner capped the run with a pass from the short corner to Smith in the lane for two.
Williams Bay responded to take a 22-19 lead with eight points coming from Valadez. He drained back-to-back threes, forcing a Monticello timeout. After the pause, Valadez hit a baseline jumper. He kept momentum on the Bulldog side by withstanding a charge from Hunter Grossen.
“He (Valadez) was hurting us for sure,” Olson said. “We tried to man him. We kind of had a scout on him, which said he was a quick-release shooter and likes to drive hard to his right. We knew all of that but didn’t take it away.”
Roe grabbed a defensive rebound and faced a one-on-five on his way to the basket. He drew a foul on Jack Schultz and went 2-for-2 at the line to stop Williams Bay’s run. The Ponies ended the half with a 3-pointer from Indergand, but they still trailed 28-24 going into the locker room.
“There’s an old saying called ‘gut check.’ We found that gut check, and we made it happen,” Smith said. “Olson said it at halftime when we were down by four.”
Smith began Monticello’s comeback with a contested bucket less than two minutes into the fresh half. Valadez scored back-to-back points, forcing a Pony timeout. Smith pressed on, scoring on a turnaround post move. He then grabbed a loose ball and fed Indergand for a 3-pointer.
Grossen momentum on Monticello’s side, drawing Valadez’s second foul. At the line, Grossen went 1-for-2. He then grabbed a defensive rebound and passed it up the floor to Indergand on a fast break. Indergand’s pass for Gafner got tipped out of bounds, but Monticello still cashed in on the play with an inbounds 3-pointer from Indergand.
Two empty possessions later, Indergand grabbed a defensive rebound and took it back for a 37-36 lead. He was fouled on the play and went to the line for an and-one. Although Indergand missed the shot, Smith grabbed the rebound and put it back in.
“It’s nice to know you’ve got a guy that’s bigger than everyone out there to get rebounds for you and you can shoot where ever you want,” Indergand said of Smith. “He’ll get the board for you. He’s reliable.”
After a series of fumbles by each team, Grossen grabbed the loose ball and pushed it up the floor to Indergand. He passed up to Gafner, who finished the play with a contested fast break bucket.
With a 43-29 lead and the clock winding down, Monticello played keep away. Keegan Wehrwein fouled Indergand, putting him to the line for bonus with 1:31 left. Indergand went 2-for-2 in his next two trips to the line, as did Roe to finish the game.
Indergand led all players with 25 points, going 5-for-12 beyond the arc. Smith also finished in double figures with 14 points. He also led on the glass, grabbing seven boards. Roe and Indergand had six rebounds each.
MONTICELLO 53, BLACK HAWK 48
MONTICELLO — Black Hawk’s Carter Baumgartner went 2-for-2 at the free throw line to tie the game at 48 with 2:13 left, but Monticello ended the game with five free throws of its own to seal the win.
Indergand and Smith led the Ponies with 23 points each, while Smith grabbed a team-best seven rebounds.
The Warriors had three players finish in double players, led by Tra Hagen with 13. He was just one rebound away from a double-double. Andrew Figi added 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers. He also deflected eight passes and tallied six steals. Brycen Wilson hit three 3-pointers in his 11-point total.
