The Monroe Redhawks proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by 24) but on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 66-63 victory over Sun Valley. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory Monroe has posted since January 3rd.
Monroe's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Bryson Simpkins, who scored 19 points along with seven rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Simpkins has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordan Young, who scored 16 points.
Nathan Tavares and Will Calhoun certainly did their best on Wednesday to avoid the loss. Tavares scored 23 points along with seven assists and two steals, while Calhoun scored 22 points along with five steals and two blocks. It was the first time this season that Calhoun scored 15 or more points. Another player making a difference was Devin Sumpter, who scored 13 points.
Sun Valley struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Monroe pulled down 12 offensive rebounds.
The win made it two in a row for Monroe and bumps their season record up to 8-6. As for Sun Valley, they have not been sharp recently as the team has lost six of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-15 record this season.
Monroe will be playing at home against Parkwood at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Parkwood has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 964 points over their last 15 contests. As for Sun Valley, they will head out on the road to take on Marvin Ridge at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Sun Valley focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 14 on Wednesday.
