Rallies propel Panthers to pair of wins

     Monticello has had several down-to-the-wire boys basketball encounters with neighboring rival Cascade over the years.

     This one was quite a bit different.

     The Panthers outscored Cascade 16-4 in the third quarter to open a 19-point lead, and went on to score a 56-31 win in a makeup home game Monday, Jan. 20 at Monticello High School.           

     Tate Petersen poured in 20 points, shooting 6-for-9 from three-point range; and Justin Recker added 16 points as Monticello (10-1, 12-2) picked up the win.

     “The defense has been really good,” Monticello coach Tim Lambert said, noting that Cascade scored just five points in the second quarter and four in the third. “Offensively we executed, got good shots, and the ball moved really well.”

     As for Petersen, the coach said, “For being a freshman, playing his first varsity game against Cascade and hitting six threes, that was impressive.”

     Monticello rallied from an early 10-2 deficit to lead 23-16 by halftime, then went on an 11-2 run to open the third quarter. Petersen made a key three-point shot, and Connor Lambert followed with consecutive layups, the second on a pass from Recker, to make it 30-16. By quarter’s end it was 39-20.

     Connor Lambert finished with eight points, and he and Recker each pulled down seven rebounds. Luke Lambert had six assists. Recker had two blocks.

     “Connor has been asked to go from shooting guard to power forward,” coach Lambert said, “ and he has adjusted well. He had some nice finishes.”

     The Panthers came back the next night, Jan. 21, and rode a big fourth quarter to a 58-41 win over North Cedar, also in Monticello.

     Recker had a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 9-for-13 from the field. Luke Lambert had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Connor Lambert had eight points and seven rebounds, while Ty Kehoe and Petersen had six points each. Kehoe also had six rebounds, five steals and four assists.

     “They had won seven in a row, so we knew that was going to be a tough game,” the coach said. “We were really flat offensively. The ball didn’t move as well. Our defense kind of carries us in a game like that.”

     That game was close through three quarters, with Monticello leading 36-32. The Panthers scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter, on a put-back by Recker, a three-point play by Recker on a lob pass from Luke Lambert, and a basket by Luke Lambert off a pass from Petersen. That gave Monticello a 43-32 lead with 5:43 left.

     It was still an 11-point lead, 52-41, in the final two minutes, but the Panthers made six consecutive free throws – two by Recker, two by Luke Lambert, and two more by Recker – to seal the win.

West Branch game postponed

     Poor winter weather caused the Jan. 24 home game against West Branch to be postponed; it was to be made up Monday, Jan. 27.

Jan. 20

Cas.      11   5    4  11 – 31

Monti  15   8  16 17 – 56

     CASCADE (31) – Carter Green 2-9 1-3 6, Cooper Rausch 3-4 0-0 8, Michael Trumm 0-3 0-0 0, Caden Reinke 1-1 1-2 3, Alex Aitchison 3-4 0-0 6, Will Potter 1-4 0-0 3, Cole McDermott 0-0 3-4 3, Eli Green 1-4 0-1 2, Hugh Molony 0-1 0-0 0, Jonah Manternach 0-1 0-0 0, Brody Supple 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson McAleer 0-0 0-0 0, Cael McDermott 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-31 5-10 31.

     MONTICELLO (56) – Justin Recker 5-7 6-8 16, Luke Lambert 1-4 2-2 5, Connor Lambert 4-6 0-0 8, Ty Kehoe 0-1 0-0 0, Tate Petersen 7-11 0-0 20, Devin Kraus 1-2 0-0 3, Jeff Carlson 0-0 2-2 2, Ethan Martensen 1-1 0-0 2, Tyler Luensman 0-0 0-0 0, Riley Manternach 0-3 0-0 0, Brayden Cleeton 0-0 0-0 0, Cade Folken 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-35 10-12 56.

     Three-pointers: Rausch 2, C. Green, Potter; Petersen 6, L. Lambert, Kraus.

     Rebounds: Monticello 26 (Recker 7, C. Lambert 7), Cascade 14.

     Total fouls: Monticello 10, Cascade 9.

Jan. 21

NC           8 13 11   9 – 41

Monti    8 16 12 22 – 58

     NORTH CEDAR (41) – Kael Unruh 6-6 0-0 13, Keon McCullough 2-6 0-0 5, Ethan Sahr 6-10 0-0 16, Gage Walshire 1-5 0-0 2, Jacob Sander 1-1 0-0 2, Caden Wendt 0-0 2-2 2, Tyler Jackson 0-0 1-2 1, James Garner 0-0 0-0 0, Chance Cinkovich 0-0 0-0 0, Brady Burcum 0-0 0-0 0, Jaxon Sander 0-0 0-0 0, Tadan Lange 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-28 3-4 41.

     MONTICELLO (58) – Justin Recker 9-13 5-5 24, Luke Lambert 4-13 3-3 11, Connor Lambert 3-8 2-2 8, Ty Kehoe 2-7 1-1 6, Tate Petersen 2-6 0-0 6, Devin Kraus 1-3 0-0 3, Tyler Luensman 0-0 0-0 0, Jeff Carlson 0-0 0-0 0, Brayden Cleeton 0-0 0-0 0, Riley Manternach 0-3 0-0 0, Cade Folken 0-0 0-0 0, Ethan Martensen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-53 11-11 58.

     Three-pointers: Sahr 4, Unruh, McCullough; Petersen 2, Recker, Kehoe, Kraus.

     Rebounds: Monticello 34 (Recker 10, C. Lambert 7, L. Lambert 6, Kehoe 6), North Cedar 5.

     Total fouls: North Cedar 14, Monticello 10.