By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N. Y. — Four different players scored in double figures, and the Monroe Community College Tribunes defeated the Jamestown Community College-Olean Jaguars, 110-70 in WNYAC action on Monagan Court, Tuesday night.
ShaQuan Bretoux (Central) notched a double-double in his first career start.
“We decided that as a coaching staff a couple of days ago,” Monroe head coach Jerry Burns said of the change in the starting lineup. “We need another shooter, another scorer.”
Bretoux netted 10 on 4-5 shooting including 2-3 behind the arc.
“He’s in attack mode,” Burns said of the 6-5 freshman. “The ball is being reversed to him, and he’s stepping out and shooting the three. He’s shooting with confidence. He’s getting a rebound, and he’s going down the floor.”
The Tribunes hit 10-of-18 from long range to take a 22-point lead into the locker room.
Jamar Johnson (Bushwick) hit his first of three first-half triples to push Monroe’s lead to double digits at 17-7. Johnson’s catch-and-shoot trey later in the half made it 31-21.
Johnson matched a career high scoring 15, hitting 5-10 from the floor and 5-9 from the 3-point range.
“Jamar did a really nice job tonight,” Burns noted. “Everyone is zoning us. We need someone to step up and be able to shoot threes. Knock ‘em down on a consistent basis. We’re going to see a ton of zone on Thursday. Maybe we’ll give him another shot and see what happens.”
Damon Miraud‘s (Elizabeth) putback followed by a steal and dunk made it a 15-point game at 40-25.
Dykweil Bryan (Boys and Girls) nailed a pull-up three and hit a floater at the buzzer for a 53-31 Monroe lead at the half.
MCC scored on its first two possessions of the second half pushing the lead to 26. Miraud converted another rebound and putback. Darwin Trotman (John Jay) finished on the break with a finger roll.
Bryan took control and pushed the advantage to 30. The sophomore guard used a hesitation dribble to get in the lane for two. He fed Denzel Banks (East Orange) and Trotman on consecutive possessions for a 67-37 MCC lead.
For Burns the game was about the means and not the end result.
“They’re all good numbers,” the 23rd-year coach said about his team’s domination in the box score. “But it’s not about numbers right now. It’s about playing harder and playing better. We’re winning, but winning gives you that false sense that you’re doing things the right way. And we’re not.
“I told the team the other day ‘this is an unfortunate statement that I have to make. You will maybe continue to squeak by and squeak by, but when you squeak by there’s going to be a point where you won’t squeak by, and you’re season’s over. Everything you’ve worked hard for is gone because you’re not playing your best basketball in February.’
“You need to be playing your best basketball, and I don’t think we have all five guys.”
Jamestown scored 13 straight midway through the second half.
“You win by 30 it’s good,” Burns explained. “But we had so many breakdowns. If you’re going to try and win a regional championship, or if we are fortunate enough to get through the region and play in the district, and you play that way? I’ve done it. I’ve been there. The season’s over. That’s why I’m trying to instill in these guys. You can’t have these breakdowns this time of year.
“November and December, not that I want to, but I live with it. This time of the year? That should never, ever happen. A kid makes a tough shot, they make a tough shot. That’s a different story.”
Burns emphasized that point when he called timeout in the game’s final minute.
“I felt bad,” Burns said of taking the timeout. “We’re up 30 with 59 seconds to go, and I call timeout. It had nothing to with trying to rub somebody’s face in it or anything. I was so upset at our guys for letting a dude just dribble down and shoot an uncontested layup. It had nothing to do with (Jamestown CC) Olean. It had everything to do with our mental approach.”
Trotman led the Tribunes with 16 points on 7-11 shooting.
Izaha Jackson (Westside) connected on 3-of-5 outside the arc and added 13 points.
Bryan led Monroe with eight assists. The sophomore point guard scored nine.
Monroe handed out 22 assists on 40 field goals while committing 12 turnovers.
Miraud scored nine and grabbed seven rebounds in 20 minutes of playing time.
Chucky Martin (Olean) led the Jaguars with 18 points. The freshman hit 4-9 behind the arc. Rob Sanders (Foster) added 17, and Deonn Moore-Colomb (E.L. Furr) had 16. Glenford Miller (Clarkson Prep) grabbed 10 rebounds in a losing effort.
The Tribunes (18-3/8-0 WNYAC) go on the road Thursday to take on the Mercyhurst NE Saints. Monroe beat the Saints, 114-75 in the first meeting between the two teams. MCC has four games remaining in the regular season. Coming into Tuesday’s action, the Tribs held a three-game edge over second-place Jamestown Community College (4-3 WNYAC).
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