In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, St. Joseph-Ogden erupted for 14 unanswered points to open the second half and went on to defeat Monticello 55–45 in Illini Prairie Conference action Friday night at the Sievers Center.
The Spartans wasted no time taking control after the break. Parker Fitch knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to start the run, and Nolan Franzen followed with consecutive layups as St. Joseph-Ogden quickly built a 42–26 advantage, its largest lead of the night.
Monticello battled back and trimmed the deficit to six in the fourth quarter, but the Sages were unable to complete the comeback. Monticello struggled from beyond the arc, finishing 0-for-16 from three-point range and shooting just 34.7 percent from the field. The Sages stayed within striking distance by going 11-of-14 from the free-throw line.
St. Joseph-Ogden shot 52 percent from the floor, despite going 4-of-18 from long range and 3-of-10 at the foul line.
Fitch led all scorers with 18 points, while Franzen added 14 and Kaden Wedig chipped in 11 for the Spartans. St. Joseph-Ogden also held a 33–27 edge on the boards, though Monticello capitalized on 12 Spartan turnovers for 14 points.
Matthias Rudolph paced the Sages with 13 points and eight rebounds, and Nolan Buehnerkemper recorded nine points and eight rebounds in the loss.
Monticello will look to bounce back quickly, as the Sages travel to Warrensburg-Latham on Saturday. Tipoff has been moved to 2:15 p.m. due to incoming weather. The game can be heard on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.
Luke Murphy scores for the Sages
Nolan Buehnerkemper AND ONE