Tate Petersen shoulders the load, guides Monticello to district final win over Alburnett

MARION — So Tate Petersen, exactly how injured are you?

“I’m all right,” he said.

Monticello’s senior point guard really isn’t all right. He’s been playing with a bad right shoulder for almost two months. He’s a right-handed shooter, if you’re curious.

“I just try not to think about it,” Petersen said, after his 28 points helped Monticello past ninth-ranked Alburnett, 57-51, in a Class 2A district final boys’ basketball game Tuesday night. “I just try to get through the day with some ibuprofren and some other things.”

Petersen sprained his AC joint and strained some other muscles near his collarbone when he was landed on diving for a loose ball in a game January 6 against Center Point-Urbana. He missed four games but ultimately decided to gut things out.

Tuesday’s offensive outburst included making four 3-pointers, as he at times simply took over a game that was tight the entire way. His capper was a driving shot with one second left on the shot clock and under 30 in the game that gave his team a seven-point lead.

Ballgame. Petersen set Monticello’s career scoring record and sent the Panthers (16-6) to Saturday night’s substate final against No. 3 Aplington-Parkersburg (21-2) in the process.

That game will be at Dike. Monticello is seeking its fourth consecutive state tournament appearance, all with Petersen as its lead guard.

“I’ve always prided myself on being a winner,” said Petersen, who will play collegiately at Kirkwood. “I’ve got great coaches and great teammates. We all have the same mindset. Just win, (beat) whoever is in front of us.”

Monticello was virtually everyone’s top-ranked team in 2A to begin this season because of the presence of Petersen and fellow all-stater Preston Ries. But this has been a banged-up club a lot of the way, one that finally seems to be getting healthy and finding its way at the exact right time.

Ries had 13 points, sophomore Carson Lambert 12. Only four Panthers scored and took shots, with freshman Jack Lambert (head coach Tim Lambert’s son) taking but two.

He played really good defense on Alburnett’s Jordan Caton, though. Both of these teams played really good defense, actually.

“Survive and advance, and we survived, because Alburnett is a really good team,” Tim Lambert said. “We’re finally getting healthy. We lost some games, and everybody was like ‘What’s wrong with Monticello?’ But we were more hurt than people even know. Major injuries to major kids, and they played anyway.

“I just told them how super proud of them I am, because after those losses, nobody thinks we can do anything, and I just know they can.”

Alburnett (20-4) scored the first five points, but Monticello took a 20-15 lead after the first quarter and didn’t trail again. The Panthers’ spread was never larger than nine and was just one point in the third, but Alburnett never did get over the hump.

It’s difficult to chase the game, as Coach Jeff Christopherson noted.

“Give them full credit,” Christopherson said. “They made the plays when they had to in crucial situations.”

Mason Neighbor led the Pirates with 15 points. Leading scorers Braydon Osborn and Caton were limited to 16 total points, about half their combined average.

Both are juniors, which means you can expect to see a really good Alburnett team again next season.

“It hurts now, but we know we lost to a very good basketball team,” said Christopherson. “I told the kids it’s been three years in a row where we’ve played in a district final. Now it’s time to take that next step.”

AT MARION

MONTICELLO (57): Carson Lambert 5-8 0-0 12, Preston Ries 5-20 2-2 13, Jack Lambert 1-2 2-2 4, Conley Schauf 0-0 0-0 0, Tate Petersen 10-20 4-5 28, Ian Temple 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-50 8-9 57.

ALBURNETT (51): Braydon Osborn 3-11 1-2 9, Tytan Bowers 3-3 0-0 6, Mason Neighbor 5-10 4-5 15, Adam Neighbor 2-5 0-0 5, Jordan Caton 3-6 0-0 7, Payton Baker 3-8 0-0 7, Grayson Carolan 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 19-43 7-9 51.

Halftime - Monticello 29, Alburnett 26. 3-point goals - Monticello 7-22 (C. Lambert 2-4, Ries 1-7, J. Lambert 0-1, Petersen 4-10), Alburnett 6-16 (Osborn 2-4, M. Neighbor 1-4, A. Neighbor 1-1, Caton 1-3, Baker 1-4). Rebounds - Monticello 25 (Ries 10), Alburnett 29 (Osborn 9). Total fouls - Monticello 7, Alburnett 12. Fouled out - None. Turnovers - Monticello 7, Alburnett 15.

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