Monticello erased a 14-point first-half deficit and surged past the Sullivan Redskins for a 58–53 victory in a Class 2A Regional quarterfinal on Monday night in Monticello.
Sullivan came out sharp early, fueled by senior James Feldkamp, who poured in 11 first-quarter points to give the Redskins a 19–11 lead. The visitors continued to build momentum in the second quarter, stretching the advantage to 14 points before Monticello began to settle in. The Sages closed the half with a strong finish, trimming the deficit to 29–23 at the break.
The momentum continued to swing after halftime behind a strong third-quarter effort from Aiden McCool. McCool scored eight of his game-high 21 points in the period, helping Monticello claw its way back into contention as the deficit steadily shrank.
Monticello took control early in the fourth quarter when Matthias Rudolph scored five straight points to give the Sages the lead for good. From there, Monticello made key plays on both ends of the floor to hold off Sullivan down the stretch.
McCool’s 21-point performance earned him State Bank of Bement Player of the Game honors. Jake Motsegood recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Rudolph finished with 14 points to round out a balanced offensive effort.
Sullivan’s season comes to a close with a 19–11 overall record. Monticello improves to 15–14 and advances to a Wednesday night regional semifinal against the Tolono Unity Rockets at Maroa-Forsyth High School. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Dawson Gaitros put back for the Sages
Ayden McCool takes it to the hoop for the Sages.