Monticello vs Liberty

MONTICELLO - Monticello came out of the gate hot with several early baskets. Both the Panthers and the Redhawks showed athleticism, hustle, and grit from the beginning, excelling on defense with multiple blocks or steals coming from both sides. At the end of the first quarter, Liberty went on a 6-point run to close Monticello’s early lead. Liberty finished out the first quarter down by just one basket. However, it seemed as though Liberty lost much of that momentum in the beginning of the second quarter as they struggled to score. Through their excellent defense, Monticello was able to regain much of their early lead. Down low for Liberty, Joe Dibartolo was able to get inside for layups, including a heavily defended and one, to break their dry spell. The two teams battled back and forth with Monticello ending the first half up 28-24. 

Liberty set the tone coming out of the locker room with two big steals in the first 30 seconds, leading them to tie Monticello at 28-28. Liberty then went on a quick 7-point run, ending in a 35-30 lead, their first time leading the game. But Monticello’s Anthony Ortiz stepped up with two steals leading to fast breaks, and the Panthers took a 39-37 lead to end the 3rd quarter. It was a back-and-forth game throughout the final quarter with neither team taking a solid lead, but it made for a great show. Monticello was down by 5 points with just one minute left, and it looked dire, but it was still anyone’s game. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Redhawks got a big stop into a fast break layup in the final 20 seconds to end the game with a 56-49 win over the Panthers. Coach Matt Robinson of Liberty had this to say after the win, “It was a tough game, we’re both good, fast, and physical teams. Our defense definitely won us the game, and it was a great win for the boys.” Coach Chris Russo of Monticello, the host school, shared his thoughts after the game, saying, “I would first like to congratulate Matt and his team on winning the game and qualifying for the Section IX Tournament. You have to earn your way in, and it is a special moment for coaches and players.”

This was a really good HS basketball game. The kids know each other, and it has been a friendly and competitive rivalry. Both teams look forward to the game and want to win it badly. 

I thought we played a really solid first half, but as I tell the kids each game, nothing matters less than the score at halftime. What matters is how you respond to the circumstance of the game. Liberty used a momentum changing play at the end of the half to fuel a run in the third, and we had to battle our way back. Proud of our guys for getting the lead back - I think it was 48-47 with about 3 minutes to play. In the end, Liberty played better than we did in those final minutes.”