MONTICELLO - Before basketball season started, Juda coach Mike Armitage's message to his team was that even though Monticello had graduated several key players, they won't forget how to win games.
That proclamation rang true Thursday night, as Monticello erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit and stunned Juda 44-42 in an overtime thriller.
Monticello sophomore Lucas Marty drove to the basket and delivered a pinpoint pass to senior Derek Gilbertson, who scored the game-winner with eight seconds left. Juda junior Cody Suiter's desperation jumper at the buzzer was waved off.
Monticello has won at least a share of the last three Six Rivers East Conference titles.
"I saw the pass and I was just hoping I could get the ball and put it up there," Gilbertson said. "All the credit goes to (Marty) for seeing me down there. We always come into every game 0-0 and do our best to get the 'W' every game."
Juda (5-3, 1-2 Six Rivers East) played most of the second half without senior Brandon Bauman, who banged knees with a Monticello player and didn't return. Juda senior Joey Jordan scored a team-high 13 points.
"If any team loses a starter in our league, it's a big deal for them," Armitage said. "He banged knees with someone. It was too stiff for him to go. We were playing it safe. We had to make adjustments and we didn't do it. Give credit to Monticello, they didn't forget how to win. They found a way to get it done."
Monticello coach Mark Olson hopes the Ponies can use the win as a springboard.
"We are improving," Olson said. "I don't know if this will happen every night. We got a break when Brandon Bauman got hurt. It took them out of some of the things they wanted to do.
"We lost a tough one Tuesday night. We are learning little by little."
Olson was excited with how Marty stepped up and made smart decisions in overtime.
"Lucas is starting to learn the role of a point guard," Olson said. "He is seeing the floor well. He is stepping up in big moments and making plays."
Monticello senior Lukas Kolasch scored 13 points and Marty had 12 points. Monticello (5-5, 2-1) received contributions from several players down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers made just 2 of 6 free throws in the final 2 minutes, 11 seconds to open the door for the Ponies. Monticello junior Bryce Klitzke took advantage drilling a 3-pointer with 22.1 seconds left to tie the game at 37 and to force overtime.
"This was huge," Klitzke said. "They are one of the best teams in the conference. There are a lot of people who thought we would lose."
Kolasch scored nine points in the first quarter and sparked the Ponies to a 12-4 lead after the first period. The Ponies led by as many as 10 points in the first half.
The Panthers came alive by going to a press late in the second quarter and closed the period with an 8-1 spurt. Juda junior Kade Allen, who scored seven points and had 10 rebounds, scored down low to cut the Ponies' lead to 18-14. Allen came up with a steal an outlet pass to Matt Trotter, who hit a jumper on the break. Brandon Bauman scored on a layup to cut the Ponies' halftime lead to 19-16.
Juda junior Cole Bauman helped the Panthers start strong in the third quarter by hitting a 3-pointer and scoring on a layup to give the Panthers a 25-21 lead. The Panthers outscored the Ponies 11-4 in the third quarter and led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter.
That set the stage for the Ponies' comeback.
Brandon Bauman finished with eight points and Cole Bauman added seven.
"The bottom line is we need to be more focused," Armitage said. "A conference championship is not won in eight games. We have a lot of miles to travel to get better."
That proclamation rang true Thursday night, as Monticello erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit and stunned Juda 44-42 in an overtime thriller.
Monticello sophomore Lucas Marty drove to the basket and delivered a pinpoint pass to senior Derek Gilbertson, who scored the game-winner with eight seconds left. Juda junior Cody Suiter's desperation jumper at the buzzer was waved off.
Monticello has won at least a share of the last three Six Rivers East Conference titles.
"I saw the pass and I was just hoping I could get the ball and put it up there," Gilbertson said. "All the credit goes to (Marty) for seeing me down there. We always come into every game 0-0 and do our best to get the 'W' every game."
Juda (5-3, 1-2 Six Rivers East) played most of the second half without senior Brandon Bauman, who banged knees with a Monticello player and didn't return. Juda senior Joey Jordan scored a team-high 13 points.
"If any team loses a starter in our league, it's a big deal for them," Armitage said. "He banged knees with someone. It was too stiff for him to go. We were playing it safe. We had to make adjustments and we didn't do it. Give credit to Monticello, they didn't forget how to win. They found a way to get it done."
Monticello coach Mark Olson hopes the Ponies can use the win as a springboard.
"We are improving," Olson said. "I don't know if this will happen every night. We got a break when Brandon Bauman got hurt. It took them out of some of the things they wanted to do.
"We lost a tough one Tuesday night. We are learning little by little."
Olson was excited with how Marty stepped up and made smart decisions in overtime.
"Lucas is starting to learn the role of a point guard," Olson said. "He is seeing the floor well. He is stepping up in big moments and making plays."
Monticello senior Lukas Kolasch scored 13 points and Marty had 12 points. Monticello (5-5, 2-1) received contributions from several players down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers made just 2 of 6 free throws in the final 2 minutes, 11 seconds to open the door for the Ponies. Monticello junior Bryce Klitzke took advantage drilling a 3-pointer with 22.1 seconds left to tie the game at 37 and to force overtime.
"This was huge," Klitzke said. "They are one of the best teams in the conference. There are a lot of people who thought we would lose."
Kolasch scored nine points in the first quarter and sparked the Ponies to a 12-4 lead after the first period. The Ponies led by as many as 10 points in the first half.
The Panthers came alive by going to a press late in the second quarter and closed the period with an 8-1 spurt. Juda junior Kade Allen, who scored seven points and had 10 rebounds, scored down low to cut the Ponies' lead to 18-14. Allen came up with a steal an outlet pass to Matt Trotter, who hit a jumper on the break. Brandon Bauman scored on a layup to cut the Ponies' halftime lead to 19-16.
Juda junior Cole Bauman helped the Panthers start strong in the third quarter by hitting a 3-pointer and scoring on a layup to give the Panthers a 25-21 lead. The Panthers outscored the Ponies 11-4 in the third quarter and led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter.
That set the stage for the Ponies' comeback.
Brandon Bauman finished with eight points and Cole Bauman added seven.
"The bottom line is we need to be more focused," Armitage said. "A conference championship is not won in eight games. We have a lot of miles to travel to get better."
