MONROE — After struggling to play a complete game and shoot from deep all season, the Cheesemakers found their groove in a 90-63 win over Clinton on Monday, Jan. 23.
Monroe jumped out to a 9-0 lead, scored 45 points in each half and went 12-for-29 from beyond the arc for arguably its best performance of the season.
“It was amazing. It was absolutely crazy that we finally did it,” Monroe head coach Brian Bassett said of the complete-game performance. “This team is getting better and improving. I can’t say that about all of the teams I’ve coached, but this one has gotten better every week we’ve been together.”
James Seagreaves started the game with a bang, going the distance and finishing with a slam dunk. Charlie Wiegel added on with a 3-pointer after a Monroe offensive rebound and later went to the line where he made both free throws. Another bucket from Seagreaves gave the Cheesemakers a 9-0 lead.
Giovanni Aceves put Clinton on the board with a three just over four minutes into the game. Keatin Sweeney responded with Monroe’s first of seven 3-pointers in the first half, prompting a Cougar timeout.
Brandon Bassett came out of the half to score in transition and, after a Cougar basket, Seagreaves scored in back-to-back possessions. Clinton took its second timeout after Brandon Bassett sank a pair of threes, one from a kick-out by George Brukwicki. Defensively, Ryan Mathiason kept the Cougars at bay with back-to-back blocks.
Tucker Markham extended Monroe’s lead to 16 with a three and followed it up with a bucket for his first points of the game.
“Hats off to Tucker and George,” Brian Bassett said. “They are starting to figure out that if we get in gaps and do kick-outs, they aren’t going to miss shots. Those are automatic. It’s fun to watch when they start seeing those things themselves. It’s very satisfying.”
With just over two minutes left in the first half, Mathiason went to the line for a pair of free throws. His first gave the Cheesemakers a 20-point lead. After an empty possession by the Cougars, Seagreaves went down the floor for a second dunk — this time over a Clinton defender.
Reagan Flickinger scored back-to-back points for the Cougars with just over a minute left, but the Cheesemakers still took the momentum into the locker room. Markham sank a three with 41 seconds left and held for the last basket, giving Monroe a 45-25 lead at halftime.
Markham and Seagreaves kicked off the second half for Monroe, as the two connected for the Cheesemakers’ first basket. Seagreaves then scored one of his own, followed by another shot from Markham off a defensive rebound from Sweeney.
Clinton quickly responded, as Sawyer Weisensel sank three consecutive 3-pointers. After a free throw from Peyton Bingham and three from Aceves, the Cougars cut the deficit to 12 points.
Seagreaves swung the momentum back in Monroe’s favor by converting a 3-point play at the free-throw line. With a bucket from Mathiason and three from Markham, the Cheesemakers extended their lead back to 19.
The offense kept feeding Markham, who had a hot hand. He scored another basket, followed by his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Flickinger kept pace, though, scoring on back-to-back possessions for the Cougars.
Monroe did some damage at the free-throw line, as Mathiason finished a 3-point play at the charity stripe. The Cougars were then charged with a technical foul, sending Brandon Bassett to the line for a pair of free throws. At that point, Brandon Bassett had missed just one free throw all season, and the junior didn’t plan on missing any more as he made both shots.
A few minutes later, Brandon Bassett made a basket that gave Monroe a 30-point lead with six and a half minutes remaining. With a convincing lead, Brian Bassett played his substitutes for the final minutes of the game.
Keegan Dahmen came off the bench and drained a three, while Braden Rupnow made a bonus free throw. On the boards, Jakar Broitzman and Parker Isely grabbed offensive rebounds.
“They work their tails off every day in practice, and they don’t ever get the rewards of playing in a game,” Brian Bassett said of giving his substitutes significant minutes. “It was so much fun to see those guys go in and put their shots up. If you watch the starters, they were cheering for them. The fans go nuts. I love it. It’s great for those guys to get that reward.”
Five players scored in double figures for Monroe, including a season-high 11 points for Mathiason on his birthday.
“It’s a great present,” Mathiason said. “It was a great birthday all day today and then it was a great win to win by a lot and getting everyone in the game. It was a lot of fun.”
Markham led all Cheesemakers with 24 points, going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc with four rebounds. Seagreaves trailed with 18 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Brandon Bassett and Wiegel tallied 14 points each. The remaining offense came from Sweeney (five points), Dahmen (three points) and Rupnow (one point).
