The Monticello Billies would pick up their first conference win of the season on Friday night with a three point victory over the Star City Bulldogs.
The Billies began 8-4A Conference play on Wednesday night, hosting the Warren Lumberjacks.
Warren would control the opening tip with Warren’s tramond Miller getting the first score of the game on a three pointer.
Tejon tensley would score the next four points for the Billies before MIller would once again connect on a three to retake the lead for the Lumberjacks.
Quay Rhodes would score the final six points for the Billies in the quarter, but Monticello would trail the Lumberjacks 14-13 at the end of the quarter.
Rhodes would repeat his six points in the second quarter to help the Billies outscore Warren 14-11 in the second quarter to hold a 27-25 lead heading into halftime.
Returning from the half, the Lumberjacks would take the third quarter 17-14 to take a one point, 42-41, lead into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Warren would edge out Monticello 16-15 in the quarter with Monticello’s chance to tie the contest in the final seconds falling short on a shot by Tensley with Warren taking the 58-56 win.
Quay Rhodes led the way with 18 followed by Tejoin Tensley with 12.
Gavin Trotter added six, Joseph Accelus and Peyton Strickland with five, Jaxs Rawls and Jon Jackson with four, and Rohan Patel with one point.
On Friday, the Billies would host the Star City Bulldogs.
Star City controlled the tip and got the first two points of the contest on a pair of free throws and would go on to take a one point, 15-14, lead at the end of the quarter.
Monticello would score the first three points of the second quarter with Rohan Patel connecting on a freethrow and Gavin Trotter hitting a two to give the Billies a two point, 17-15, lead with 6:19 remaining in the half.
Star City would retake the lead, but a three by Peyton Strickland gave the Billies the lead allowing Monticello to go on to win the quarter 13-10, taking a 27-25 lead into the halftime break.
Returning from the break, Joseph Accelus would lead the Billies on the scoreboard in the third quarter, scoring seven of his 12 points in the quarter as the Billies outscored the Bulldogs in the quarter 13-9 to take a seven point, 40-33, lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Star City began the fourth, connecting on a three to cut the Billie lead to four points before Quay Rhodes extended the lead back to five.
The Bulldogs would get a pair of free throws before the billies would go on a 9-0 run to increase their lead to 51-38 with 3:09 remaining in the contest.
Star City would begin a points run with 2:45 remaining in the contest, going on a 11 point run to cut the lead to three points, 51-48.
Monticello would get two shots at extending their lead from the freethrow with a pair of shots with 16 seconds remaining and five seconds remaining but but would miss on both two shot opportunities with Star City getting the rebound on the last shot getting a look at a game tying three as time expired with the shot falling short giving the Billies the 58-41 win.
Monticello saw three players in double-digits in the contest with Quay Rhodes leading the way wit 15 points followed by Gavin Trotter and Joseph Accelus with 12 points each.
Jaxs Rawls would add four points with Jon Jackson and Peyton Strickland scoring three points each, and Rohan Patel and Tejon Tensley rounding out the scoring with one point each.
The Billies, who are now 2-1 in conference after a 52-43 win over Hamburg on Tuesday, will travel to Watson Chapel on Friday, January 12, to face the 2-1 Wildcats with a 5:30 tip scheduled.
