MONROE — Two second half scoring runs propelled the Clinton-Massie boys basketball team to a 52-42 win Friday night over Monroe.
After Monroe opened the second half with a three, Clinton-Massie (2-1) outscored the Hornets 13-2 over the next 4:02 to take a 34-27 lead. The Falcon lead was six, 39-33, after three.
Thomas Myers, who was unstoppable underneath, scored to open the fourth quarter to give Massie an eight-point lead, 41-33.
Monroe (4-5) struggled from the floor outside of two offensive spurts. The second of those spurts followed the Myers basket. Six straight points pulled the Hornets with two, 41-39, with 5:35 left.
Clinton-Massie put the game away by clamping down on defense and getting points from its two post players, Myers and Trey Uetrecht.
Myers and Uetrecht combined to score Massie’s final 11 points, seven of which came from the free throw line.
It was thanks to a halftime adjustment that the Falcons were able to dominate the game inside in the second half.
“We went to a different alignment offensively where we could focus on Thomas Myers,” CM head coach Todd Cook said. “Trey (Uetrecht) was getting guarded really well by (Tristan) Backas. We wanted to bring (Backas) away from the basket which was going to give us a smaller guy.”
On the defensive end, Monroe was held without a field goal for nearly five minutes and was outscored 11-3 over the final 5:35.
Shawn Poindexter led Monroe with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Backas, who was plagued with foul trouble, had just eight points and seven rebounds.
It was a struggle offensively for Monroe, especially from three-point range. Monroe made just 5 of 28 (18 percent) from behind the arc.
Myers led Clinton-Massie with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Uetrecht added seven points and nine rebounds.
“I told my big guys, ‘I need to have 30 points between both of you. I don’t care how you get it,’” Cook said. “They had 31 tonight. Trey only had seven, but next time it’s going to flip. We’re going to go with what the defense gives us.”
Cook has been pleased with both the chemistry of his team and its willingness to be unselfish.
“Right now, we don’t care who scores as long as we win,” Cook said. “We’re moving the ball really well. They’re doing a great job reversing the ball and finding the open guy.”
SUMMARY
Dec. 29, 2017
@ Monroe High School
Clinton-Massie 52, Monroe 42
C 09.12.18.13…..52
M 07.15.11.09…..42
(52) CLINTON-MASSIE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Daulton Wolfe 0-0-1-1, Zach Chowning 2-1-3-8, Thomas Myers 9-1-5-24, Trey Uetrecht 1-0-5-7, Griffin Laake 2-1-1-6, Drew Settlemyre 3-0-0-6. TOTALS 17-3-15-52.
(42) MONROE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Will DeBord 1-0-0-2, Tristan Backas 3-1-1-8, Nick Osterman 1-1-1-4, Matt DeHart 2-0-0-4, Shawn Poindexter 3-0-5-11, Sam Jeffers 2-0-0-4, Marty Zumbiel 3-2-0-8. TOTALS 15-5-7-42.
FIELD GOALS: CM 17/39 (Myers 9/16, Settlemyre 3/6); M 15/53 (Poindexter 3/8, Backas 3/12, Zumbiel 3/12)
3 POINT FIELD GOALS: CM 3/6; M 5/28
FREE THROWS: CM 15/24 (Myers 5/9, Uetrecht 5/8); M 7/10 (Poindexter 5/6)
REBOUNDS: CM 36 (Myers 10, Uetrecht 9, Laake 6, Wolfe 4); M 28 (Backas 7, Poindexter 5, Osterman 5)
ASSISTS: CM 13 (Laake 4); M 10 (Poindexter 5)
STEALS: CM 4 (Uetrecht 2); M 10 (DeBord 3)
BLOCKED SHOTS: CM 1 (Myers 1); M 2 (Backas 2)
TURNOVERS: CM 14; M 9
