In a game heard on WEZC and at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello hung with second-ranked Prairie Central but senior Dylan Bazzell took things over in the fourth quarter lifting the Hawks past the Sages 65-56 in Illini Prairie Conference High School boy's basketball action Tuesday from the Sievers Center at Monticello High School.
The Hawks opened up a 24-16 lead after a tight first quarter, looking like one of the favorites to get to Champaign in Class 2A might start to pull away but the Sages closed the frame on a 17-9 run to go up 34-33.
Trey Welter was fouled from beyond the arc twice in the final 3:05 of the second and made all six free throws to spark the rally for Monticello.
The third quarter went back and forth as Monticello went ahead 40-37 on a nifty Drew Sheppard sweeping left-handed layup but the Hawks retook the lead on a 7-0 run, 44-40 at the 5:20 mark of the third.
A pair of Raiden Colbert threes sandwiched a Will Ross layup to put Monticello back in front 48-46 and Monticello led 51-50 headed to the fourth quarter but Bazzell took over.
He scored the first eight points for the Hawks to put Prairie Central up for good 58-52. Prairie Central led by as many as 11 points in the fourth.
Each team shot over 50 percent from the floor in a clean first half but regressed slightly in the second half. Monticello shot 46.5 percent to Prairie Central's 45.8 percent.
Bazzell tied a Sievers Center facility record with 29 points. Drew Fehr added 13 points and Camden Palmore scored 12.
Sheppard led a balanced Monticello attack with 17 points and was the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game. Welter added 15 points and Colbert scored 12 for the Sages.
Monticello had 13 assists on its 20 field goals and turned the ball over only 11 times. The Hawks meanwhile committed just eight turnovers for the game.
Prairie Central held the rebounding edge 32-24.
The Hawks moved to 19-2 overall and are 5-0 in the Illini Prairie. Meanwhile, Monticello drops to 13-8 overall and 2-2 in conference action.
The road through the Illini Prairie doesn't get much easier for the Sages who will battle No. 8 St. Joseph-Ogden on the road Friday night. Tip time is 7 pm, hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.
