MONTICELLO — Before the season, Six Rivers East coaches expected Monticello to be the team to beat in the conference race. However, Argyle, a team littered with seniors and experience, was picked to be the dark horse.
In the Six Rivers East opener Dec. 10, it was Monticello that prevailed. In fact, the Ponies strutted to a resounding 59-29 win.
“It’s just one of those where it’s our first real test. We haven’t been battle tested like they have,” Argyle coach Justin Jenson said. “They’ve played four games against some high-quality teams. They are playing really well right now. We were 2-0 against two teams that we definitely should have beaten.”
The Orioles (2-1, 0-1) opened the game in a zone defense, looking to slow Monticello down. It worked to a point — the Ponies (5-0, 1-0) scored nine points the first seven minutes of the game. Argyle, meanwhile, had just three.
“We had some great possessions to start the game. We didn’t want to just get an open look, we wanted to get the ball to where we wanted to go. I thought we did a good job with that. It took a while — their zone moves very well and they cover a lot of space so it’s tough to find holes in it. Getting that 9-0 lead really helped relax us and feel confident,” Monticello coach Mark Olson said.
The Ponies took their time against the zone, passing methodically around the horn, waiting for the open shot. By the 8:50 mark in the first half, Monticello was ahead 17-7. Two minutes later, it was 22-9. Argyle found itself trailing at halftime 31-12.
“Just from the start I think they caught us off guard. They made all those hustle plays in the first half and continued throughout the entire game,” Jenson said.
Leading the way for the Ponies were the team’s two high-scoring forwards, junior Pete Gustafson and senior Reece Rufer. Gustafson went into the locker room with 12 points, while Rufer had 10. Simon Blohowiak scored five of his seven points in the first 18 minutes as well.
The key in the late run in the half was turnovers and transition play. The Ponies thrived snagging loose balls and pushing the rock up the court.
“We were able to get a few turnovers, which helped when you play a team that plays as good of a zone as they do, because they don’t get a chance to set up in their zone and you can attack in transition,” Olson said. “We were fortunate to be able to do that. I felt we did a good job on our defensive end, too, limiting the touches of the balls going where we didn’t want them to go so much.”
In the second half, the Orioles were unable to overcome Monticello’s collective length and pressure. Nine different Ponies scored in the frame. Rufer finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Gustafson had 16 points, eight boards and three pickpockets. Junior Clay Ritschard led Argyle with seven points.
“Offensively we had a hard time moving the ball. Their pressure defense gave us a hard time to get anything going. We had to work for everything, and that’s a credit to them. I’m just hoping as the year goes on we can figure some things out and be ready for them when they come to our place,” Jenson said.
The next matchup between the two teams is scheduled for Jan. 23.
