BELLEVILLE — The Wildcats set the pace in the first half of a nonconference game against the Cheesemakers on Monday, Feb. 5, resulting in a 31-27 Belleville lead. Monroe slowed the game down in the second to get its desired looks, ending in a 62-52 Cheesemaker victory.
Monroe (13-6, 8-2 RVC) shot nearly 30% better from the field in the second half (44%-71%), taking fewer shots from 3-point range. Despite fewer attempts from beyond the arc, the Cheesemakers made more 3-pointers thanks to open looks from post kickouts.
“Our thing all year has been inside-out,” Monroe head coach Brian Bassett said. “We are bigger than everybody else, so everyone sends four guys on us. If everyone is on us in the post, there’s a guy open somewhere — just look for the kicks.”
Belleville (8-11, 4-1 Capitol South) dictated the game in the first half, though, relying on its speed an endurance. Starters Carter and Jackson Scholey are experienced cross country runners, with Carter making state three of his four years. Jack Erickson was a 2023 state hurdler, and Brady Mousseau — who came off the bench — was a member of the 2023 state championship soccer team.
Carter Scholey scored the opening points of the game with a long pass from Evan Thomas. Jackson Scholey then grabbed a defensive rebound and pushed the ball up the floor to Thomas, who drove to the basket. He drew a foul on Logan Taylor and made both shots at the free-throw line.
“I can tell you it definitely tired me out, for sure,” Monroe sophomore Mekhi Brown said of Belleville’s pace. “The gym was hot, so running back and forth was very tiring. A lot of teams don’t play as fast as they do. They have a lot of stamina being cross country runners and soccer players.”
Brown put Monroe on the board two minutes into the game, receiving an assist from Ryan Mathiason. James Seagreaves knotted the game at four, and Taylor the Cheesemakers their first lead with a 3-pointer.
Carter Scholey responded with his own 3-pointer. He and Thomas applied pressure to Brown, forcing a turnover. Carter Scholey grabbed the loose ball and fed Thomas for two. Erickson’s putback gave the Wildcats an 11-7 lead.
Mathiason’s inbounds bucket made it a one-possession game, but Belleville built its lead back up. Josh Meyer gave Sam Arndt too much space, resulting in a deep 2-pointer. Thomas scored on a fast break, and Arndt’s steal on the defensive end led to two points for Bryce Babler on the offensive side.
The Wildcats largest lead, 26-17, came on a contested shot from Brendan Pawloski.
By employing a 2-3 zone late in the first half, Monroe was able to slow Belleville down. Tightened defense led to better offense, as the Cheesemakers began to bounce back.
Kaden Kuester and Taylor scored back-to-back buckets in the paint. Meyer’s putback made it a one-possession game, 26-23.
“Instead of letting them get to the rim, we slowed them down by letting them shoot the ball,” Brown said. “We let them play outside instead of letting them get inside. Their big had a couple of layups, so we wanted to switch it up and give them a different look. It worked.”
Belleville made two more shots in the final four minutes, but Monroe ended the half with momentum. With 32 seconds left in the frame, Mathiason lobbed a pass to Seagreaves in the post for two. The Cheesemaker defense held off the Wildcats, and Mathiason’s defensive rebound ensured his team trailed by just four going into the locker room.
Monroe came out strong in the second half, as Brandon Bassett and Mathiason applied high pressure on Pawloski. Mathiason grabbed the loose ball and pushed it up to Seagreaves. Although he missed the dunk, Seagreaves stole the next ball and slammed it home for redemption.
Taylor tied the game at 33 and 35. He then gave Monroe its first lead since 7-4 in the first half, forcing a Belleville timeout. Bassett kept momentum on Monroe’s side, taking a charge from Thomas. On the ensuing Cheesemaker possession, Seagreaves faked a 3-point shot and drove all the way to the basket.
With an inside threat established — whether through post touches or dribble drives — the perimeter opened up for the Cheesemakers. Brody Cornfield drew three defenders in the lane and kicked out to Brown for three. On the next trip down the court, Brown hit another 3-pointer for a 45-35 lead.
“I’ve been struggling with confidence lately. What I need to work on is just seeing one go in,” Brown said. “Once I make one, it comes easy to me.”
Seagreaves added on with a 3-point play from the free-throw line. Combined with four points from Taylor and another 3 from Brown, the Cheesemakers took their largest lead at 55-39.
Although the Wildcats kept their pressure — grabbing two steals in the final minute — the lead was too great to overcome.
Monroe scored 46 points in the paint with 20 of them coming from Seagreaves. Taylor chipped in another 17 points. Brown finished with 11 points, nine coming beyond the arc. Mathiason led on the boards with 12 rebounds. As a team, the Cheesemakers recorded 17 assists.
