MONTICELLO - The Monticello boys basketball team wouldn't get caught in a trap of overlooking Black Hawk with a conference showdown coming up against Barneveld.
The Ponies' decisive 9-0 fourth-quarter spurt was ignited by defensive pressure and sparked a 62-52 win over the Warriors on Monday night.
Black Hawk (9-6, 4-3 Six Rivers East) erased a 12-point first-half deficit and took a 47-45 lead when senior Shane Jackson banked in a jumper with 7 minutes, 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
From there, the Ponies held the Warriors scoreless for almost four minutes.
"What is that saying, 'You have to make hay when the hay is dry'?," Black Hawk coach Jerry Mortimer said. "We had to make hay when we had a chance to take the lead. Our chances for a conference title diminished severely tonight. I'm disappointed with the loss, but I'm not disappointed with the effort."
Monticello senior Brandon Holz, who scored a game-high 22 points, stole the ball and glided in for a layup. On the Warriors' next possession, Monticello sophomore Tyler Ritschard came up with a steal, which led to a driving basket by Holz to give the Ponies a 51-47 lead. Monticello junior Jacob Marty drilled a 3-pointer to give the Ponies a 54-47 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Marty and Ritschard added 11 points each for the Ponies.
"Tonight, I think the defense stepped up," Monticello coach Brad Pickett said. "Everyone will say Brandon (Holz) is our go-to guy. The other go-to guys are Jacob Marty, Tyler Meier, Tyler Ritschard, Casey Klossner and Parker Havens. We are no better than the last guy on our bench."
Black Hawk junior T.J. Adams broke the scoreless spell with a 3-pointer to slice the Ponies' lead to 54-50 with 3:50 to go.
Monticello (10-5, 7-1) responded with a driving basket by sophomore Corey McGowan to take a 56-50 lead. Black Hawk sophomore Michael Wolff drove into the lane and flipped in a shot over his shoulder to cut the lead to 56-52 with 2:59 left. The Ponies sealed the game by hitting 6 of 7 free throws in the last 1:53.
"We made some free throws down the stretch," Pickett said. "That was key."
Monticello junior Tyler Meier helped the Ponies build a 20-13 first-quarter lead with two 3-pointers at the end of the period. Holz provided a jolt of momentum with a 3-pointer, a steal and layup on the break to beat the buzzer to give the Ponies a 32-21 halftime lead.
The Warriors stormed back by outscoring the Ponies 24-13 in the third quarter. Black Hawk senior Payton Schliem drained a 3-pointer to cut the Ponies' lead to 41-37. Schliem's hot shooting in the third quarter, during which he scored 11 of his 13 points, gave the Warriors a boost. Schliem grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a putback with 1:41 left in the third quarter to pull the Warriors within two at 43-41. Black Hawk senior Michael Place, who scored 13 points, made two free throws to tie the score at 45 at the end of the period.
"I think we relaxed a little bit in the third quarter," Pickett said. "We didn't respond really well in that quarter."
That set the stages for a frantic finish.
"We just brought the intensity and pushed the ball," Holz said. "We just came out flat in the second half. In the end, we did it."
The Ponies honored Mortimer with a plaque before the game as the 27-year coach announced plans to retire from coaching earlier this year. Pickett knows Mortimer has made a lasting impact.
"What he has given to the Six Rivers Conference and basketball in this part of the state is unimaginable," he said. "He has definitely put Black Hawk basketball on the map."
Monticello will host Barneveld (12-2, 7-1), ranked eighth in the Associated Press Division 4 state poll, Thursday night with first place in the Six Rivers East Conference at stake.
The Ponies' decisive 9-0 fourth-quarter spurt was ignited by defensive pressure and sparked a 62-52 win over the Warriors on Monday night.
Black Hawk (9-6, 4-3 Six Rivers East) erased a 12-point first-half deficit and took a 47-45 lead when senior Shane Jackson banked in a jumper with 7 minutes, 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
From there, the Ponies held the Warriors scoreless for almost four minutes.
"What is that saying, 'You have to make hay when the hay is dry'?," Black Hawk coach Jerry Mortimer said. "We had to make hay when we had a chance to take the lead. Our chances for a conference title diminished severely tonight. I'm disappointed with the loss, but I'm not disappointed with the effort."
Monticello senior Brandon Holz, who scored a game-high 22 points, stole the ball and glided in for a layup. On the Warriors' next possession, Monticello sophomore Tyler Ritschard came up with a steal, which led to a driving basket by Holz to give the Ponies a 51-47 lead. Monticello junior Jacob Marty drilled a 3-pointer to give the Ponies a 54-47 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Marty and Ritschard added 11 points each for the Ponies.
"Tonight, I think the defense stepped up," Monticello coach Brad Pickett said. "Everyone will say Brandon (Holz) is our go-to guy. The other go-to guys are Jacob Marty, Tyler Meier, Tyler Ritschard, Casey Klossner and Parker Havens. We are no better than the last guy on our bench."
Black Hawk junior T.J. Adams broke the scoreless spell with a 3-pointer to slice the Ponies' lead to 54-50 with 3:50 to go.
Monticello (10-5, 7-1) responded with a driving basket by sophomore Corey McGowan to take a 56-50 lead. Black Hawk sophomore Michael Wolff drove into the lane and flipped in a shot over his shoulder to cut the lead to 56-52 with 2:59 left. The Ponies sealed the game by hitting 6 of 7 free throws in the last 1:53.
"We made some free throws down the stretch," Pickett said. "That was key."
Monticello junior Tyler Meier helped the Ponies build a 20-13 first-quarter lead with two 3-pointers at the end of the period. Holz provided a jolt of momentum with a 3-pointer, a steal and layup on the break to beat the buzzer to give the Ponies a 32-21 halftime lead.
The Warriors stormed back by outscoring the Ponies 24-13 in the third quarter. Black Hawk senior Payton Schliem drained a 3-pointer to cut the Ponies' lead to 41-37. Schliem's hot shooting in the third quarter, during which he scored 11 of his 13 points, gave the Warriors a boost. Schliem grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a putback with 1:41 left in the third quarter to pull the Warriors within two at 43-41. Black Hawk senior Michael Place, who scored 13 points, made two free throws to tie the score at 45 at the end of the period.
"I think we relaxed a little bit in the third quarter," Pickett said. "We didn't respond really well in that quarter."
That set the stages for a frantic finish.
"We just brought the intensity and pushed the ball," Holz said. "We just came out flat in the second half. In the end, we did it."
The Ponies honored Mortimer with a plaque before the game as the 27-year coach announced plans to retire from coaching earlier this year. Pickett knows Mortimer has made a lasting impact.
"What he has given to the Six Rivers Conference and basketball in this part of the state is unimaginable," he said. "He has definitely put Black Hawk basketball on the map."
Monticello will host Barneveld (12-2, 7-1), ranked eighth in the Associated Press Division 4 state poll, Thursday night with first place in the Six Rivers East Conference at stake.
