ALBANY - Most basketball players have dribbled in their driveway and counted down the seconds before hitting a game-winning shot.
For Monticello senior Tyler Ritschard, the countdown in a packed gym Friday night wasn't practice or a dream. Ritschard used a crossover dribble and then buried a buzzer-beater to give the Ponies a thrilling 55-53 win over Albany.
"I practice that shot quite a bit," said Ritschard, who scored a game-high 23 points. "Once it left my hand, I had a good feeling it was going in."
The Ponies were playing without junior Lukas Kolasch who didn't play his second straight game due to concussion-like symptoms. With the win, Monticello (8-3, 5-0 Six Rivers East) remains in the driver's seat to win a third straight conference title.
Albany (3-8, 2-3) looked primed to send the game into overtime when senior Josh Peters scored down low to tie the game at 53 with 35 seconds left. The Comets were in a position to force the extra session even after senior Josh Krueger, who scored a team-high 20 points and senior Boomer Detra, fouled out in the last 1 minute, 37 seconds.
The Comets had three players in double figures. In addition to Krueger, Detra scored 11 points and freshman Isaiah Shell added 10.
"We have made some big steps in the last two weeks," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "Playing them to the final shot; we have made some huge steps. The realization is that a very good player made a great shot. That is what great players do."
Monticello coach Mark Olson's message was clear after he took a timeout with about 10 seconds left.
"We wanted to take the last shot," Olson said. "We wanted to let Corey (McGowan) or Tyler take their guy and shoot it or find a teammate to pass to. I know it's not his first game-winning shot. He's a special kid. I have a lot of confidence in Tyler. When he has the ball in his hands he's pretty good in those situations."
The Comets jumped out to a 6-3 first-quarter lead with Krueger scoring four of his team's first six points. The Ponies battled back with a 11-1 run that was highlighted by a Ritschard 3-pointer and senior Reid Zanoya scoring on a putback at the end of the period to take a 14-7 lead.
The Comets erased an eight-point deficit by going on a 14-5 run to close the second quarter. Detra hit a jumper and junior Ty Mauerman scored to slice the Ponies' lead to 20-17 with 3:40 left in the period. Krueger scored on a putback and Shell hit a jumper to spark the Comets to a 25-24 halftime lead.
Krueger scored the Comets' first six points of the third quarter. He scored in the post and scored on a layup and was fouled. Krueger converted the conventional three-point play by sinking the free throw to give the Comets a 31-24 lead with 6:24 left in the third quarter. Ritschard hit a clutch 3-pointer right before the buzzer at the end of the third quarter to tie the game at 42. The Ponies also got a lift from senior Corey McGowan who scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half.
"We were not overlooking them," Olson said. "We didn't take them lightly. They (Albany) are playing very well right now."
The Comets looked to pound the ball inside on each possession and they found success.
"It's something we have been concerned about all year," Olson said of the Ponies' interior defense and rebounding. "Not having Lukas really makes a difference. With his athleticism in there, he really clears the boards for us."
The Comets used various defenses throughout the game including a box-in-one, 1-2-2 zone and man-to-man defenses.
"You are not going to stop them," Doescher said of Monticello's Ritschard and McGowan. "My hope was that playing different defenses would make them think about what defense we were playing. We wanted to slow them down."
For Monticello senior Tyler Ritschard, the countdown in a packed gym Friday night wasn't practice or a dream. Ritschard used a crossover dribble and then buried a buzzer-beater to give the Ponies a thrilling 55-53 win over Albany.
"I practice that shot quite a bit," said Ritschard, who scored a game-high 23 points. "Once it left my hand, I had a good feeling it was going in."
The Ponies were playing without junior Lukas Kolasch who didn't play his second straight game due to concussion-like symptoms. With the win, Monticello (8-3, 5-0 Six Rivers East) remains in the driver's seat to win a third straight conference title.
Albany (3-8, 2-3) looked primed to send the game into overtime when senior Josh Peters scored down low to tie the game at 53 with 35 seconds left. The Comets were in a position to force the extra session even after senior Josh Krueger, who scored a team-high 20 points and senior Boomer Detra, fouled out in the last 1 minute, 37 seconds.
The Comets had three players in double figures. In addition to Krueger, Detra scored 11 points and freshman Isaiah Shell added 10.
"We have made some big steps in the last two weeks," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "Playing them to the final shot; we have made some huge steps. The realization is that a very good player made a great shot. That is what great players do."
Monticello coach Mark Olson's message was clear after he took a timeout with about 10 seconds left.
"We wanted to take the last shot," Olson said. "We wanted to let Corey (McGowan) or Tyler take their guy and shoot it or find a teammate to pass to. I know it's not his first game-winning shot. He's a special kid. I have a lot of confidence in Tyler. When he has the ball in his hands he's pretty good in those situations."
The Comets jumped out to a 6-3 first-quarter lead with Krueger scoring four of his team's first six points. The Ponies battled back with a 11-1 run that was highlighted by a Ritschard 3-pointer and senior Reid Zanoya scoring on a putback at the end of the period to take a 14-7 lead.
The Comets erased an eight-point deficit by going on a 14-5 run to close the second quarter. Detra hit a jumper and junior Ty Mauerman scored to slice the Ponies' lead to 20-17 with 3:40 left in the period. Krueger scored on a putback and Shell hit a jumper to spark the Comets to a 25-24 halftime lead.
Krueger scored the Comets' first six points of the third quarter. He scored in the post and scored on a layup and was fouled. Krueger converted the conventional three-point play by sinking the free throw to give the Comets a 31-24 lead with 6:24 left in the third quarter. Ritschard hit a clutch 3-pointer right before the buzzer at the end of the third quarter to tie the game at 42. The Ponies also got a lift from senior Corey McGowan who scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half.
"We were not overlooking them," Olson said. "We didn't take them lightly. They (Albany) are playing very well right now."
The Comets looked to pound the ball inside on each possession and they found success.
"It's something we have been concerned about all year," Olson said of the Ponies' interior defense and rebounding. "Not having Lukas really makes a difference. With his athleticism in there, he really clears the boards for us."
The Comets used various defenses throughout the game including a box-in-one, 1-2-2 zone and man-to-man defenses.
"You are not going to stop them," Doescher said of Monticello's Ritschard and McGowan. "My hope was that playing different defenses would make them think about what defense we were playing. We wanted to slow them down."
