By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Foul trouble limited their leading scorer. An injury forced one of their top inside performers to the sideline with more than five minutes remaining in the third quarter, and their best all-around player was recovering from the flu.
None of that seemed to slow the East High Eagles, Thursday night.
Sha’vion Phillips-Jones and Percy Robinson posted season-high efforts as host East defeated Monroe, 87-67 in Rochester City Athletic Conference (RCAC) action.
“This year we got guys who will come in and give us that spark,” said East head coach Darrell Barley. “Guys that can take us to the next level.”
Phillips-Jones netted a game-high 27 points. Robinson added 23 as the Eagles (11-1) won their eighth straight.
“‘Shavvy’ has been playing lights out, and Percy has been coming on for a few games now,” Barley said. “That’s what we saw tonight.”
The duo combined for 15 points in the second quarter as the Eagles built a double-digit lead heading into halftime.
Leading 17-14 early in the second, Robinson came off the bench and ignited a 12-3 run with a 3-pointer. Phillips-Jones followed with back-to-back buckets, and Jhayden Holmes, another player from East’s second group, converted a steal and layup. Holmes added another basket off a drive, and East led 29-17.
“We played a tough, physical game last night,” Barley said referring to East’s 80-42 win over Niagara Falls. “We got a lot guys who are not up to speed right now. It was good to have Percy and ‘Shavvy’ pick up the slack.'”
Jhayden Holmes to Sha’vion Jones for 2. pic.twitter.com/EVgp1kzzP3
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 7, 2025
Percy Robinson hits a jumper. pic.twitter.com/F2r4jnxWCN
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 7, 2025
Off the turnover, Jhayden Holmes to Percy Robinson. Iceman cometh! pic.twitter.com/SkrECILbDC
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 7, 2025
Sha’vion Jones finds Zion Parson cutting baseline. @SecVBBasketball pic.twitter.com/VVWFwQfOWQ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 7, 2025
Sha’vion Jones, with the touch. pic.twitter.com/CIObv8ampe
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 7, 2025
A Zion Parson bucket and free throw gave East its largest lead of the night at 50-33 early in the third quarter.
Monroe’s Navareon Patton hit a trio of 3-pointers to pull the Redjackets within single digits at 61-52.
Robinson was at his best helping to provide East’s response in the fourth. The senior opened the scoring of the final stanza with a triple of his own. After Phillips-Jones finished along the baseline, Robinson added another from distance.
“Percy really came to play,” Barley said. “He can go and get you a bucket. You don’t have to run a play for him. He’s athletic enough that he can get putbacks. He’s got all the tools.”
Percy Robinson opens the fourth-quarter scoring. @GoEastEagles pic.twitter.com/f5a2VlZyKZ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 7, 2025
Micah Johnson connects from deep. pic.twitter.com/ru3FpaRiWh
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 7, 2025
East led 70-54 and did not allow Monroe (11-3) within single digits for the remainder of the contest.
The win came over a Monroe squad that had won eight straight heading into Thursday’s action.
“They’re a physical team,” Barley said of the Redjackets. “They got a lot of football players out there. They play 100 percent. Coach does a really good job with them as far as playing hard.”
Micah Johnson entered play averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game, but the senior guard picked up his second foul early and didn’t play in the second quarter. He finished with four points on the night. Markell Kingston-Johnson, who scores 7.3 a game, rolled an ankle early in the third and left without scoring. Parson, who has been struggling with the flu, added 21 points for the Eagles.
Holmes had 10 points in the win. Kesean Leonard (3) and Norman Simmons III (2) also scored.
Patton led Monroe with 22. Taj Mullins added 18. Gavin Jones (6), Khalil Herring (6), Jordan Reis (4), Kyair Calloway (4), Will McKinney (3), Ja’Ron Shears (2) and Jermaine Montgomery (2) also scored for Monroe.
Taj Mullins grabs a board and goes the length for 2. pic.twitter.com/bzCQugNqx1
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) February 7, 2025
The Redjackets travel for a 7:15 p.m. tip-off at Eastridge on Monday.
East hosts Wilson for a 6:30 p.m. start on Tuesday.
MONROE (11-3)
Gavin Jones 3 0-0 6, Will McKinney 1 1-4 4, Taj Mullins 7 4-5 18, Jordan Reis 1 2-2 4, Kyair Calloway 2 0-0 4, Navareon Patton 5 8-8 22, Marcus Freeman 0 0-0 0, Ja’Ron Shears 1 0-0 2, Khalili Herring 3 0-1 6, Jermaine Montgomery 1 0-0 2 TOTALS 24 15-20 — 67
EAST (11-1)
Zion Parson 6 6-7 21, Micah Johnson 1 1-2 4, Sha’vion Phillips-Jones 11 3-4 27, Percy Robinson 8 3-4 23, Markell Kingston-Johnson 0 0-4 0, Norman Simmons III 1 0-0 2, Jhayden Holmes 3 4-6 10 TOTALS 30 16-28 — 87
MONROE 12 17 23 15 — 67
EAST 17 25 20 25 — 87
3-point goals: MONROE 4 (Patton 4); EAST 10 (Parson 3, Phillips-Jones 2, Robinson 4, Johnson 1).
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