The Monticello Sages took center stage Monday night in the Holiday Hoopla championship game, and the main event delivered exactly what it promised—a primetime, heavyweight clash. Riding a four-game winning streak, the Sages faced an undefeated Tuscola squad aiming for its fourth consecutive Hoopla title.
Defense dominated the early stages, as both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm. Points were at a premium in a slow, physical first half, with Tuscola holding a narrow 20–16 advantage at the break after two quarters of hard-nosed basketball.
The tempo shifted dramatically in the third quarter, as the Warriors found their stride offensively. Tuscola poured in 20 points in the period, stretching its lead to 12 heading into the final frame and putting Monticello in a 40–28 hole.
Refusing to go quietly, the Sages mounted a determined comeback. Through methodical execution and defensive stops, Monticello clawed its way back into the game, trimming the deficit to just 42–39. The atmosphere inside the gym was electric as a timeout was called, with momentum clearly swinging toward the Sages.
Much like the earlier girls championship, Tuscola delivered a timely answer. Caiden Russo finished a layup to push the Warriors’ lead back to five, immediately halting Monticello’s surge. Tuscola followed with another run to extend the margin back to double digits late. A last-second basket by Matthias Rudolph with 11 seconds remaining set the final score at 51–43, giving the Warriors their fourth straight Holiday Hoopla championship—just one shy of the tournament record of five set by Ridgeview from 2012–16.
Monticello was led in scoring by Ayden McCool with 11 points, while Matthias Rudolph added 10. The Sages struggled from long range, an area that is typically a strength. McCool knocked down a three-pointer early to give Monticello a brief 3–2 lead—their only lead of the night—and Nolan Buehnerkemper later added another. Overall, the Sages finished just 2-of-24 (8.3%) from beyond the arc. Tuscola connected on 5-of-19 attempts from three-point range for 26 percent.
Despite the loss, Monticello was well represented in the postseason honors, with Rudolph, Buehnerkemper, and McCool all earning spots on the All-Tournament Team.
The Sages now turn their focus to a challenging road stretch next week. Monticello travels to Teutopolis on Tuesday for a sectional rematch against the Wooden Shoes, who defeated the Sages in overtime last season, before heading to face El Paso–Gridley on Saturday in the Christie Clinic SJO Shootout.
Nolan Buehnerkemper with the layup for Monticello.