MONTICELLO - Albany junior Isaiah Shell has seen the game film before where the Comets play hard and it comes down to Monticello hitting a buzzer-beating shot.
Shell helped flip the script when he made the game-winning shot on a putback with 20.4 seconds left to help the Comets upset fourth-ranked Monticello 49-48 Tuesday night. There was no miracle finish for the Ponies this time. Monticello junior Lucas Marty's shot hit the rim and bounced away at the buzzer. With the win, Albany (6-10, 2-5 Six Rivers East) snapped a 13-game losing streak to Monticello.
"The last few years we have been close, but we haven't been able to close it," Shell said. "This is the best win I have ever had in my life. I was just jumping around like a little kid."
Shell and his teammates had to wait until the final buzzer before they could celebrate the win.
"I thought (Marty) was going to make it," Shell said. "I was just praying to God that he didn't make it. A few years ago, Tyler Ritschard did that to us."
Shell scored 12 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Comets. Monticello (14-2, 6-2) is now one game behind Black Hawk and Barneveld atop the Six Rivers East Conference.
"That is what the best player on his team is supposed to do," Albany coach Derik Doescher said of Shell. "He is supposed to make big shots. He plays both ends of the floor. He showed tonight why he is the best player in the conference."
It was a team effort despite Shell's dominant fourth quarter. Albany junior Mitchell Kauk scored 12 points and freshman Tyler Dahl and junior Grant Schoenenberger each added seven points and eight rebounds. The Comets also got solid play from junior Devin Blumer who scored three points and had six rebounds off the bench.
"Those guys went above and beyond their roles," Doescher said. "There is no way we come out of here with a 'W' if it's not for their roles.
"It's a huge win. Monticello is a great team. I think our kids really stuck in there. I guess a little will at the end won it for us."
Monticello senior Bryce Klitzke, who scored a game-high 22 points, put in a layup with 2 minutes, 26 seconds left to give the Ponies a 46-44 lead. Shell then answered by banking in a shot to tie it at 46.
Monticello coach Mark Olson liked the final play the Ponies had set up.
"That was one of our options," Olson said of Marty's jumper. "It was probably our best option coming off the way the screens were set. At that point, I just thought to myself we will see if we make a play."
Olson was disappointed the Comets got several second chance scoring opportunities late in the fourth quarter.
"In general I didn't like our effort," Olson said. "I thought we were a step slower than normal. Albany played hard. Give them credit. They out-rebounded us. That's effort and hustle plays. They got a few offensive rebounds that led to second chance scoring opportunities. Second chance scoring opportunities come at the rim, and they are usually easy baskets."
The Comets shot 60 percent in the first half (12-for-20) and jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Klitzke scored 13 of his 22 points in the first half to lead the Ponies. Monticello sophomore Ben May, who scored 18 points and had nine rebounds, hit a 3-pointer before the buzzer at the end of the first quarter to give the Ponies a 14-12 lead.
The Comets received contributions from several players with Shell on the bench. Dahl scored on a layup at 4:42 to give the Comets a 19-16 lead. Schoenenberger knocked down a 3-pointer at 2:52 to give the Comets a 22-19 lead. Shell scored on a putback late in the second quarter to help the Comets take a 27-22 lead at the half.
May helped the Ponies erase a 39-32 deficit in the fourth quarter. May drilled a 3-pointer and scored on a putback to pull the Ponies within two points with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter. Marty hit a driving layup at 5:01 to tie the game at 44. The Ponies had 13 offensive rebounds. However, the Ponies shot an uncharacteristic 9 of 20 at the free throw including two misses by Aaron Hefty with 4.6 seconds to go that could have gave the Ponies the lead.
Monticello will now gear up for a Six Rivers Conference crossover game against Potosi on Friday.
"We have to learn from it, sharpen our focus and come back and be ready for Potosi," Olson said.
Shell helped flip the script when he made the game-winning shot on a putback with 20.4 seconds left to help the Comets upset fourth-ranked Monticello 49-48 Tuesday night. There was no miracle finish for the Ponies this time. Monticello junior Lucas Marty's shot hit the rim and bounced away at the buzzer. With the win, Albany (6-10, 2-5 Six Rivers East) snapped a 13-game losing streak to Monticello.
"The last few years we have been close, but we haven't been able to close it," Shell said. "This is the best win I have ever had in my life. I was just jumping around like a little kid."
Shell and his teammates had to wait until the final buzzer before they could celebrate the win.
"I thought (Marty) was going to make it," Shell said. "I was just praying to God that he didn't make it. A few years ago, Tyler Ritschard did that to us."
Shell scored 12 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Comets. Monticello (14-2, 6-2) is now one game behind Black Hawk and Barneveld atop the Six Rivers East Conference.
"That is what the best player on his team is supposed to do," Albany coach Derik Doescher said of Shell. "He is supposed to make big shots. He plays both ends of the floor. He showed tonight why he is the best player in the conference."
It was a team effort despite Shell's dominant fourth quarter. Albany junior Mitchell Kauk scored 12 points and freshman Tyler Dahl and junior Grant Schoenenberger each added seven points and eight rebounds. The Comets also got solid play from junior Devin Blumer who scored three points and had six rebounds off the bench.
"Those guys went above and beyond their roles," Doescher said. "There is no way we come out of here with a 'W' if it's not for their roles.
"It's a huge win. Monticello is a great team. I think our kids really stuck in there. I guess a little will at the end won it for us."
Monticello senior Bryce Klitzke, who scored a game-high 22 points, put in a layup with 2 minutes, 26 seconds left to give the Ponies a 46-44 lead. Shell then answered by banking in a shot to tie it at 46.
Monticello coach Mark Olson liked the final play the Ponies had set up.
"That was one of our options," Olson said of Marty's jumper. "It was probably our best option coming off the way the screens were set. At that point, I just thought to myself we will see if we make a play."
Olson was disappointed the Comets got several second chance scoring opportunities late in the fourth quarter.
"In general I didn't like our effort," Olson said. "I thought we were a step slower than normal. Albany played hard. Give them credit. They out-rebounded us. That's effort and hustle plays. They got a few offensive rebounds that led to second chance scoring opportunities. Second chance scoring opportunities come at the rim, and they are usually easy baskets."
The Comets shot 60 percent in the first half (12-for-20) and jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Klitzke scored 13 of his 22 points in the first half to lead the Ponies. Monticello sophomore Ben May, who scored 18 points and had nine rebounds, hit a 3-pointer before the buzzer at the end of the first quarter to give the Ponies a 14-12 lead.
The Comets received contributions from several players with Shell on the bench. Dahl scored on a layup at 4:42 to give the Comets a 19-16 lead. Schoenenberger knocked down a 3-pointer at 2:52 to give the Comets a 22-19 lead. Shell scored on a putback late in the second quarter to help the Comets take a 27-22 lead at the half.
May helped the Ponies erase a 39-32 deficit in the fourth quarter. May drilled a 3-pointer and scored on a putback to pull the Ponies within two points with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter. Marty hit a driving layup at 5:01 to tie the game at 44. The Ponies had 13 offensive rebounds. However, the Ponies shot an uncharacteristic 9 of 20 at the free throw including two misses by Aaron Hefty with 4.6 seconds to go that could have gave the Ponies the lead.
Monticello will now gear up for a Six Rivers Conference crossover game against Potosi on Friday.
"We have to learn from it, sharpen our focus and come back and be ready for Potosi," Olson said.
