Game 31: Rockridge @ Monmouth-Roseville (Boy's Basketball)

Game 31
(12/18/09)
Rockridge @ Monmouth-Roseville (Boy's Basketball)

A small collection of oddities would occur in the Monmouth-Roseville Titans home opener against Rockridge in Olympic Conference action. I checked after the game, no full moon.

The original home opener was weathered out a couple weeks ago, hence the late start on the home portion of the schedule. Despite it being the home-court, Monmouth-Roseville's gym is my least favorite to broadcast in. The broadcast positions are up in the corners of the very small gym, and you have to plow through the fans to get up and down, so I try to do as minimal travel from bottom to top as much as possible. The gym is probably one of the hottest around, and I cannot see the main scoreboard from our vantage point. Two improvements were made since last season, though.

From our broadcast corner, it is seperated from the set of bleachers, and there was about a three-foot step across you had to make. It would be a long fall if you slipped! A small bridge was built this year. Big heater units (I think that's what they were) were also in our corner that made it very cramped. In our position, that was taken out, giving ample space.

The first oddity of the night occurred earlier in the day. When officials fired up the scoreboards, the main scoreboard burned out. It was completely out. This is the only scoreboard in the gym that denotes team fouls, personal fouls, etc. The second oddity came just before tipoff of the JV game, as the padding around one of the backboards came off.

The varsity matchup started out furious for the Titans, jumping out to an 11-2 lead on Rockridge. The Rockets were forced into turnovers on their first three posessions, and really struggled against the Titans defense. Rockridge only attempted two field goals in the first five minutes of the game.

Monmouth-Roseville started turning the ball over in the second quarter, allowing Rockridge to start climbing back in the game. At the 6:20 mark in the second quarter, we may have had our first-ever high school basketball snowball delay. A snowball appeared to fly out of the Monmouth-Roseville student section and right onto the playing floor, hitting near the free throw line nearest the main gates in the gym. The game was halted for several minutes. Apparently, the snowball flew in through an open window. The gym was extremely hot, so several windows throughout the gym were open. There were no finger pointing in the stands, so it appeared it came from outside through the open window. A very accurate throw.

At halftime, the Titans led 26-17. Rockridge struggled with their ball handling, turning it over 12 times, however, the Titans committed 10 turnovers themselves in the first half. On the air at halftime, first-year Monmouth-Roseville High School music teacher Kevin Ferry talked at halftime. The High School Velocity team performed the National Anthem before the game. It was also learned that Velocity would perform the National Anthem later this season for the Peoria Riverman hockey team, and next summer at Busch Stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals.

It was a slow third quarter for the hosts, scoring just nine points in a quarter that was won by the visiting Rockets (11-9). Rockridge would pull within five points, but the Titans would storm back and take an 11-point lead at times. B.J. Salyers had a big fourth quarter, scoring seven points, but went (0-3) from the free throw line.

Monmouth-Roseville held on for the (52-44) victory, improving to (6-3) and winning their first Olympic Conference game (1-2), while Rockridge dropped to (5-4, 1-2). The Titans snapped a three-game losing streak, while also snapping Rockridge's three-game winning streak.

Rockridge Sophomore Joe Heath exploded for 28 points, a game-high. Markus Hunter led Monmouth-Roseville with 17 points, and B.J. Salyers added 11 points. The Titans, who turned the ball over 10 times in the first half, committed just three second half turnovers. Monmouth-Roseville struggled at the free throw line, though (15-27).

Snow had fallen through the afternoon and evening, which created some nasty road conditions on Route 67. As I left Monmouth, the Macomb fan contingent was also headed home from their game at Sherrard. Just one-lane was cleared on the highway which created a long, long line of cars, held to just 40 mph all the way home. As much as I could, I tried to see how many cars were in this line, but there were too many to count.

The Quest File Notes
Game 31
Date: 12/18/09
Result: Monmouth-Roseville takes care of Rockridge, 52-44 in home opener
Miles: 70