By Paul Gotham
NORTH EAST, Pa. – Man of Steel was the movie of choice on the team bus.
The MCC Tribunes provided their own sequel on the court.
With a swarming, pressure defense Monroe went on the road and suffocated one of the nation’s top offenses, and four Tribunes finished in double figures as Monroe Community College (12-5/1-0) came from behind to defeat the No. 4 Mercyhurst NE Saints (11-2/0-1), 77-68 in Western New York Athletic Conference action Thursday night.
Using a five-guard lineup Monroe held Mercyhurst without a field goal for the final two-plus minutes of the game.
“Tonight, at the end of the game, we went small, but we have big guards,” said Monroe coach Jerry Burns. “If you go five guards, which we had on the floor at the end of the game for the last four or five minutes, they’re quick, they can switch, they play good defense, and then with their size they can do some things.”
At the same time Monroe’s leading scorer, Isaiah Davis (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth), found his rhythm. After scoring just six points in the first 37 minutes including an 0-fer behind the arc, Davis scored 8 of Monroe’s final 10 points to put away the game. The 6-3 freshman notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“There’s only one thing to say about those stats, the coach believes in him,” said Burns laughing. “You got a guy who’s been missing shots the whole game, but as long as you’re playing hard and doing what you’re supposed to. Sometimes you just miss shots. But he was defending.”
Knotted at 60 with 5:41 remaining, Monroe outscored Mercyhurst 17-6.
Dykweil Bryan (Brooklyn, NY/Queens Academy) started the run with a steal and an end-to-end layup. On the defensive possession, Bryan grabbed a loose ball and got ahead of the defense before being fouled in the act. The freshman guard hit one of two for a three-point edge. Damon Miraud (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) converted a pair of free throws, and Tashawn Desir (Brooklyn, NY/NIA School made it a two-possession game when he drilled a catch-and-shoot trey from the left corner.
Davis took it from there. He finished a layup when Desir fed him in a three-on-one and converted a pair of free throws. Miraud hit the first of two from the stripe. When his second shot found iron, Davis corralled the board and finished with a putback. Desir beat the press and found Davis for the game’s final basket.
“The adjustment we made going from the half-court game to making it a full-court game and pressing them a little bit got them a little out of whack,” Burns explained. “We got them paying a little faster and took the ball out their good players’ hands.”
The teams exchanged leads nine times throughout the first half with the Saints grabbing the largest lead at five.
Elijah Tillman (Garnerville, NY/North Rockland) scored six straight to give the Monroe its largest advantage of the first twenty. Desir fed Tillman with a pretty dish off for a bucket at the rim. Tillman followed with another bucket in the paint on the next possession, and MCC led 21-17. Tillman’s drop step into the lane made it a 23-22 game in favor of Monroe.
“But tonight in the first half I thought he was a dominant force,” Burns said of Tillman. “He kept the ball alive. It’s the game in a long time where he’s played with some high energy.”
Mercyhurst outscored Monroe 7-1 from there. Damon Jones (Cleveland, Oh) scored in traffic and converted a free throw for a traditional three-point play. The sophomore guard followed with two more from the charity stripe. Fateem Brockington (Philadelphia, Pa.) added two more free throws, and Mercyhurst led 29-24.
Miraud cut the lead to one with a pair of baskets late in the half.
The lead changed hands nine times in the second half.
Miraud finished with 11. Desir and Tillman each chipped in 10. Desir dished out a game-high five assists.
Davon Jackson (Odenton, Md/Old Mill) grabbed seven rebounds.
“He’s not a big scorer,” Burns said of Jackson. “The thing that is so good about him is that he knows his role.”
Bryan added four assists.
Manny Joseph (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) chipped in nine points.
All 11 Tribunes figured in the scoring column.
Monroe has won five straight.
Jones led Mercyhurst with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Soutiri Sapnas (Philadelphia, Pa) added a dozen. Quamir White (Philadelphia, Pa.) chipped in 10.
Mercyhurst came in with a ten-game winning streak and was averaging more than 100 points a game.
Monroe returns to George Monagan Court to host Jamestown Community College-Cattaraugus County on Tuesday at 7 p.m. It’s the first of three home games on the week with Jamestown Community College paying a visit Thursday and Genesee Community College, Saturday.
For the record, the movie chosen for the ride home was Transformers.
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