ARGYLE - The Orioles could see their first conference win of the season in sight, only to watch the Ponies happily ride off into the sunset, 42-34.
"It would have been huge to get this one," Argyle head coach Steve Dammen said. "The only game we've won this year was at Beloit (Turner). It would have helped us for seeding purposes.
"I had a good feeling tonight. There was a lot of energy and the seniors played good tonight."
The Orioles started off the game with a bang, as senior Kelsey Ostby drilled a 3-pointer. The Ponies took nearly four minutes to get on the scoreboard, but when they did they took off. Monticello scored 10 straight points from the 4:06 mark of the first until the final minute.
"We did a good job pacing ourselves," Monticello head coach Paul Wedig said.
Argyle got a jumper from freshman Danielle Treuthardt to make it 10-5. With time winding down in the first, Dammen had his team on its own baseline with five seconds left in the quarter.
"The girls like to work on the home run pass. I wanted to run something else, but the girls said that it was open. Credit to them that they got it to work," Dammen said.
Treuthardt heaved the inbound pass down the court, connecting with Brooke Nipple in stride. Nipple pulled up and hit a jumper from the lane to bring the score to 10-7.
In the second, Monticello tried to get up again, going up by four points three different times. However, Argyle continued creeping back. Ostby scored her 12th point of the half with a minute, 13 seconds left to play in the second to tie the score up at 23-23. A late free throw with 7 seconds left by Becky Nelson put Monticello up by one at halftime.
"I figured that was a defining moment for us," Wedig said of Argyle's comeback. "I wondered if our team would think, 'Well, we gave it our best shot for a quarter and a half' or if they would step up and get at it. Credit to them they came out and played hard to finish the game."
In the third, the Ponies started taking control of the game. Taylor Pfeuti and the Ponies pressed the Orioles hard and finished the third up 32-27.
"I was pretty impressed with our man-to-man defense and press. And our rebounding was a lot better, too. This past week we worked on drills to get better, and we were better tonight," Wedig said.
The fourth quarter saw much of the same as Monticello quickly took a big lead and cruised the rest of the way.
"Early in the year I was condemning the girls for their effort, but I don't have to say that anymore. We played hard to the end," Dammen said. "Tonight was like a lot of the games we've had this year - we get so close but a bad pass or something goes wrong and we just can't finish."
Monticello played the game without point guard Sadi Hilliard, who was ill.
"(Hilliard) definitely adds a different dimension for us. She's good handling the ball. She's our second guard, so when our point guard tonight says she needs a breather, we don't have anyone one the bench. In order to get her a rest, I need to call timeout," Wedig said. "But are we a different team without her? I wouldn't necessarily say that. One player does not define out team."
Ostby led all scorers with 18 points for the Orioles and Treuthardt added eight points. Both players also hit two 3-pointers a piece in the game.
For the Ponies, Taylor Pfeuti scored 16 points. Sarah Silver finished with 11 and Desiree Marty scored 9.
"It would have been huge to get this one," Argyle head coach Steve Dammen said. "The only game we've won this year was at Beloit (Turner). It would have helped us for seeding purposes.
"I had a good feeling tonight. There was a lot of energy and the seniors played good tonight."
The Orioles started off the game with a bang, as senior Kelsey Ostby drilled a 3-pointer. The Ponies took nearly four minutes to get on the scoreboard, but when they did they took off. Monticello scored 10 straight points from the 4:06 mark of the first until the final minute.
"We did a good job pacing ourselves," Monticello head coach Paul Wedig said.
Argyle got a jumper from freshman Danielle Treuthardt to make it 10-5. With time winding down in the first, Dammen had his team on its own baseline with five seconds left in the quarter.
"The girls like to work on the home run pass. I wanted to run something else, but the girls said that it was open. Credit to them that they got it to work," Dammen said.
Treuthardt heaved the inbound pass down the court, connecting with Brooke Nipple in stride. Nipple pulled up and hit a jumper from the lane to bring the score to 10-7.
In the second, Monticello tried to get up again, going up by four points three different times. However, Argyle continued creeping back. Ostby scored her 12th point of the half with a minute, 13 seconds left to play in the second to tie the score up at 23-23. A late free throw with 7 seconds left by Becky Nelson put Monticello up by one at halftime.
"I figured that was a defining moment for us," Wedig said of Argyle's comeback. "I wondered if our team would think, 'Well, we gave it our best shot for a quarter and a half' or if they would step up and get at it. Credit to them they came out and played hard to finish the game."
In the third, the Ponies started taking control of the game. Taylor Pfeuti and the Ponies pressed the Orioles hard and finished the third up 32-27.
"I was pretty impressed with our man-to-man defense and press. And our rebounding was a lot better, too. This past week we worked on drills to get better, and we were better tonight," Wedig said.
The fourth quarter saw much of the same as Monticello quickly took a big lead and cruised the rest of the way.
"Early in the year I was condemning the girls for their effort, but I don't have to say that anymore. We played hard to the end," Dammen said. "Tonight was like a lot of the games we've had this year - we get so close but a bad pass or something goes wrong and we just can't finish."
Monticello played the game without point guard Sadi Hilliard, who was ill.
"(Hilliard) definitely adds a different dimension for us. She's good handling the ball. She's our second guard, so when our point guard tonight says she needs a breather, we don't have anyone one the bench. In order to get her a rest, I need to call timeout," Wedig said. "But are we a different team without her? I wouldn't necessarily say that. One player does not define out team."
Ostby led all scorers with 18 points for the Orioles and Treuthardt added eight points. Both players also hit two 3-pointers a piece in the game.
For the Ponies, Taylor Pfeuti scored 16 points. Sarah Silver finished with 11 and Desiree Marty scored 9.
