MADISON TWP. — Monroe was missing a couple of key components to both its offensive and defensive schemes.
Madison took advantage of it.
Grady Combs scored a game-high 16 points and the Mohawks snapped their three-game losing streak against the Hornets with a 57-52 victory on Tuesday night.
Kaleb Miller had 11 points and Drew Whisman added 10 for Madison (5-10) which has won two out of its last three.
“Tonight, I really focused on getting to the paint because they were lacking their two big dudes,” said Combs, a junior guard who leads the Mohawks in scoring with 12.5 points a game.
“Hopefully, we could get to the paint and open up the outside shot. Towards the beginning of the game, I felt like I could do that.”
Monroe (7-8) was without leading scorer MJ Mapp (illness) and leading rebounder Carson Poe (injury). Alex Zolman stepped in to score a team-high 12 points and Kemper Atha added 11.
Mapp contributes with 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds a game and Poe chips in with 8.9 points and 8.6 boards.
“We’re not in the excuse-making business at Monroe High School,” Hornets coach Casey Popplewell said. “We had every chance in the world to win that game. I think we missed 12 layups — maybe 13. Is that a physical thing? Is that a mental thing? We need to talk through that tomorrow. But we’re not going to make excuses on who is and who isn’t on the floor.
“They’re going to change some shots in the lane — those two are,” Popplewell added of Mapp and Poe. “They’re going to rebound most misses. I think our defensive rebounding percentage is well over 80%. But that’s not an excuse. We’ve got plenty of guys who can go out there and get it done.”
Madison led 16-13 after one quarter and expanded its lead to 31-24 at the half. Monroe hung around long enough to keep the game within reach during the second half, but the Mohawks closed it out down the stretch.
“We don’t poopoo in our victories,” Madison coach Shane Richardson said. “I learned that a long time ago. You take them no matter what they look like or how they are.
“We’ve had a stretch where we’re playing really good basketball. It’s whether or not we can get over the hump. I talk about peaks and valleys all the time. This club, that’s the thing, we’ve hit quite a few valleys in late-game scenarios. We let a few slip through our hands. But, man, we can play with anybody.”
Both teams get back to action on Friday. Madison travels to Brookville, while Monroe hosts Bellbrook.
Other area results from Tuesday night:
Boys Basketball
FAIRFIELD 58, MIDDLETOWN 56
FAIRFIELD — Kameron Sanders dropped a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift Fairfield past Middletown at Fairfield Arena.
Michael Lewis scored a team-high 18 points, Sanders and Daviawne Crim each had 11 and Cash Ingram bucketed 10 for the Indians (7-9, 5-5 Greater Miami Conference) who have won five out of their last six.
Michael Maldonado had a game-high 19 points for the Middies (11-5, 6-4 GMC) who are 4-5 in their last nine games since starting the season 7-0. Chandler Shields had 14 points and Isaac Stamper added 13.
LAKOTA EAST 47, MASON 44
LIBERTY TWP. — Bayze Wieland drained a 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left to give Lakota East a GMC victory over Mason and snap the Thunderhawks’ six-game losing streak. Wieland finished with nine points.
Trey Perry had 13 points and Tyler Bachman bucketed 10 for Lakota East (8-8, 5-5 GMC). Ben Menker had 19 points and six rebounds to lead the Comets (6-9, 2-8 GMC).
SYCAMORE 54, HAMILTON 43
MONTGOMERY — Andrea Holden scored a game-high 18 points in Hamilton’s road loss to GMC-leading Sycamore. The Big Blue (10-6, 7-3 GMC) had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Four players scored in double figures for the Aviators (13-1, 9-1 GMC) who have won nine straight. Tariq Kimbrough had 13 points, while Purdue commit Raleigh Burgess had 11 points and eight boards.
LAKOTA WEST 65, PRINCETON 57
WEST CHESTER TWP. — LJ Green came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points and grab seven rebounds in Lakota West’s victory over Princeton.
Bryce Curry added 10 points for the Firebirds (10-5, 7-3 GMC). The Vikings (5-7, 5-5 GMC) were led by Brendan Braddix, who had 16 points and five boards.
BADIN 44, WILMINGTON 39
WILMINGTON — Badin has won two in a row after a nonconference road win over Wilmington. The Rams (5-8) host Fenwick on Friday night.
FENWICK 62, PREBLE SHAWNEE 28
FRANKLIN — Fenwick handed Preble Shawnee its second loss of the season in steamroll fashion on Tuesday night. The Falcons (10-5) have won two in a row, while the Arrows (13-2) have lost two out of their last three.
EDGEWOOD 56, ROSS 53
TRENTON — Connor Ballantyne hit the game-winning bucket to lift Edgewood past Ross on Tuesday night. He finished with a team-high 18 points. Jaylen Barry chipped in with 13 points for the Cougars (5-10, 3-3 SWBL).
The Rams (6-9, 0-5 SWBL) were led by Will Schaefer and Peyton Hendricks, who scored 14 points apiece.
FRANKLIN 61, BELLBROOK 52
BELLBROOK — Franklin has won eight out of its last nine following a road win against Bellbrook. The Wildcats (11-5, 5-1 SWBL) sit in first place in the SWBL Southwestern Division.
Girls Basketball
LAKOTA WEST 56, PRINCETON 48
WEST CHESTER TWP. — Sydney Williams had a team-high 13 points off the bench to help lead Lakota West past Princeton. The Firebirds handed the Vikings (13-2, 8-1 GMC) their first conference loss of the season.
Katie Fox (11), Lily Johnson (11), Jayda Neilson (11) and Caroline Bayliff (10) contributed offensively for Lakota West, which has won seven straight games and 10 out of its last 11.
